Hefting The Hive..

[Millet]

I'm no weakling through my job which got me thinking to how do you lot determine the correct weight for winter stores..
A older Bee keeper of around 60+ who has never had a manual job may well struggle to heft a hive that i would be able to easily pick up well above the ground..
I know the weight can be judged from experience but does anyone use spring type fishing scales to measure the weight.

 

[B+.]

does anyone use spring type fishing scales to measure the weight.

I use electronic parcel scales. The range of fishing scales doesn't go high enough

 

[sbisme]

I know the weight can be judged from experience but does anyone use spring type fishing scales to measure the weight.

Yes I did last winter, I weighed each hive part in an empty state to give me an idea of the weight and then I would weigh each colony weekly.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I'm no weakling through my job which got me thinking to how do you lot determine the correct weight for winter stores..
A older Bee keeper of around 60+ who has never had a manual job may well struggle to heft a hive that i would be able to easily pick up well above the ground..
I know the weight can be judged from experience but does anyone use spring type fishing scales to measure the weight.

Yes, or those digital luggage scales, slightly lift each side of the box and add the two readings together, a good wintering weight for reasonably strong colony in a cedar standard national deep is around 70lb at the end of October, not including the roof.

 

[B+.]

a good wintering weight for reasonably strong colony in a cedar standard national deep is around 70lb at the end of October,

Do you find much variation throughout the year (i.e. as the wood dries)?

 

[Millet]

Yes, or those digital luggage scales, slightly lift each side of the box and add the two readings together, a good wintering weight for reasonably strong colony in a cedar standard national deep is around 70lb at the end of October, not including the roof.

Would you lift the hive from the back just above the floor and then double the weight on the scale to give you a rough guesstimate ..

 

[Hivemaker.]

Do you find much variation throughout the year (i.e. as the wood dries)?

No.

Would you lift the hive from the back just above the floor and then double the weight on the scale to give you a rough guesstimate ..

In the middle, hook just under the floor, each side... or back and front.

 

[Millet]

No.



In the middle, hook just under the floor, each side... or back and front.

You have me confused which is not hard.. lol.. Do you make some kind of cradle or modified lifting equipment that has 4 point's of contact which allows you to heft the hive level.. sorry if i sound dumb but if i hook under each side i know it will tilt one way or the other..

 

[B+.]

YDo you make some kind of cradle or modified lifting equipment that has 4 point's of contact which allows you to heft the hive level.

I think he means in the middle of one side (not at the corner) so the weight is equally distributed.

 

[Millet]

I think he means in the middle of one side (not at the corner) so the weight is equally distributed.

Thank's for that B .. i will try to explain what is in my head..

If you have a square box and put a point of contact on the left and right side in the middle you will cause a privet effect..the heaviest part of the box will tilt down and maybe spin upside down if lifted high enough..

Is me reading this wrong or is that what you mean..

 

[B+.]

If you have a square box and put a point of contact on the left and right side in the middle you will cause a privet effect..the heaviest part of the box will tilt down and maybe spin upside down if lifted high enough..

You only need to lift it so it is clear of the ground/hive stand, not so much that its in danger of falling over.
Like this https://youtu.be/fFanJbaigM4?list=PLbr7jvL12x94RvRRE0tepOfstgMROmm5D at 55:20

 

[Michael Palmer]

I use a package scale to get an accurate weight. Obviously I have larger hive to get through my winter and the minimum weight is 155lb. It really isn't difficult to tip a hive...the taller the hive the easier to tip.


http://s241.photobucket.com/user/frenchhill/media/weighinghives2.jpg.html

http://s241.photobucket.com/user/frenchhill/media/weighinghives3.jpg.html

 

[B+.]

I use a package scale to get an accurate weight.

Thanks Michael. I keep using examples from your presentations because you cover just about everything

 

[pargyle]

Thank's for that B .. i will try to explain what is in my head..

If you have a square box and put a point of contact on the left and right side in the middle you will cause a privet effect..the heaviest part of the box will tilt down and maybe spin upside down if lifted high enough..

Is me reading this wrong or is that what you mean..

Just hook under the hive in the middle of one side .. lift the luggage scale just so that one side of the hive is just off the surface it is standing on. (You only need the hive to be barely suspended from the scale - a couple of millimetres - this will not overturn the hive). Note the weight. Move the scale/hook to the opposite side and lift that with the scale so that it is just off the surface it stands on, note the readiing.

Put the scales down and add the two readings together = Weight of hive and contents.

 

[Davelin]

I'm no weakling through my job which got me thinking to how do you lot determine the correct weight for winter stores..
A older Bee keeper of around 60+ who has never had a manual job may well struggle to heft a hive that i would be able to easily pick up well above the ground..
I know the weight can be judged from experience but does anyone use spring type fishing scales to measure the weight.

As someone who fits your stereotype I take great exception to your comment!

 

[Hawklord]

When weighing does anybody take into consideration colony size, shrinkage?

 

[B+.]

When weighing does anybody take into consideration colony size, shrinkage?

I'm not sure if this is what you mean, but, I keep a record of the amount of stores (honey and pollen), brood (eggs, larvae, sealed) and frames covered by the bees at each inspection.

 

[Hawklord]

A colony will be a different size/weight before the Autumn feed is given to the weight mid Winter. I'm talking about the amount of bees.

 

[B+.]

A colony will be a different size/weight before the Autumn feed is given to the weight mid Winter. I'm talking about the amount of bees.

Yes. I weigh the colony too. My hives are all high density poly so they are unaffected by weather conditions. That is why I was interested to hear if hivemaker observed variation in his wooden hives throughout the year

 

[enrico]

A colony will be a different size/weight before the Autumn feed is given to the weight mid Winter. I'm talking about the amount of bees.

You are complicating it. All you need is a rough idea so that you know if they have enough stores. Within a few pounds isn't going to make that much difference. You can tell by hefting if they are really light and that is what matters. The weighing in autumn is to give you an idea if they have enough food for winter. I just feed until they don't take any more. The only time I weigh is in a good crop year when I leave them with honey, maybe one in five!
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