Hive Weights

[Curly green fingers]

These Weights are for my standard national, consisting of. OMF floor, Shallow supper with 9 Frames. Brood Box 10 Frames, Crown Board, 4 inch Roof. (

On the 3rd of October I stopped feeding 2/1 sugar syrup. Hive Weight was 42.80 kg.
The 5th of November hive weight was 48.20 kg . There was lots of pollen going into the hive
Gorse pollen, Ivy pollen+ nectar and garden flower pollen Dahlia's ect..

My hive has been hefted since then every week or two until today Hive weight 30.90 kg .
Q1 is this going OK?
Q2 should I be putting fondant on. If Not what weight should my hive be before I start feeding.
Q3 should I be giving up bee keeping. ( I don't think I could even if I tried )

Cheers mark .

 

[Poly Hive]

My calcs are: Hive weight has dropped by 18.7kgs and that x 2.2 is 41.14 lbs. I am converting as my rule of thumb is 5lbs a stuffed full brood comb.

So divide by 5 and that gives between 8 and 9 frames consumed.

I know what I would be doing a bit quick, for peace of mind apart from anything else, and that is putting a good chunk of bakers fondant on the top bars directly on the cluster. By that I mean some 5lbs a time or 3kgs.

PH

 

[madasafish]

I start feeding at weights between 25-30kg (for a similar configuration)

 

[Curly green fingers]

Thank you poly and madasafish . I've made 10 kg of fondant!. ( No Bea tea) I'm putting some on now I've got a shallow eke ect... I was going to put some on the hive on Sunday when it was warmer. I think I'll do it now cheers again.

 

[Curly green fingers]

My calcs are: Hive weight has dropped by 18.7kgs and that x 2.2 is 41.14 lbs. I am converting as my rule of thumb is 5lbs a stuffed full brood comb.

So divide by 5 and that gives between 8 and 9 frames consumed.

I know what I would be doing a bit quick, for peace of mind apart from anything else, and that is putting a good chunk of bakers fondant on the top bars directly on the cluster. By that I mean some 5lbs a time or 3kgs.

PH

Under crown board?

 

[Curly green fingers]

Ive put 3.5kg of fondant on my hive nice to see there little bums in the air and alls well. As I thought they've moved to the back of the hive . plenty of noise when they new the fondant was there.

 

[Eyeman]

Weight changes from Oct 2017 to Feb 2018
Mix of double nats all cedar and 14x12's some poly others cedar.
All with top insulation of a min 100mm above CB.
x3 hives fed 2 lbs of fondant (weight of fondant removed from calculation)
Total no hives 22
Average change 9 lbs= 2 lbs weight loss per month
max 21 lb
min -3 lb= put on weight

All hives have fresh cappings on insert.

Last winter only started weighing in Jan 2017
Average Change from jan 17-Feb 17 = 2 lbs
max = 10
min -12 (weight gain)

One more weighing to do in March 2018.

 

[Poly Hive]

"a good chunk of bakers fondant on the top bars directly on the cluster"

I carefully wrote that line to make sure it was clear where the fondant was put.

Did I mention over a CB? Nope I said on the top bars, which are part of the frames so no not over a CB on the bees themselves.

I really really wish the makers would stop this hole in the CB business and sell them as solid. Would save a great deal of grief.

PH

 

[Heather]

I always slap a dollop of fondant on, and have to say, on top of crown board and it gets used. Under and I need an eke too, which gives extra space for spring burr comb.
But not always a good idea (IMO) to rely on hefting to appease your worries. Could be granulated ivy and bees wont always break it down and use. Also they could get separated from the bulk of the stores by one empty frame. You think.. heavy=ok, bees think.. empty frame one beyond cluster = no more stores.
But agree once season starts there is no need for CB with hole in .. especially not with those stupid Porter escapes.

 

[drex]

Just made up another five solid crown boards . The only ones I have with holes came with the hives and they have been modded to take rhombus escapes for clearing.

 

[john t]

"a good chunk of bakers fondant on the top bars directly on the cluster"

I carefully wrote that line to make sure it was clear where the fondant was put.

Did I mention over a CB? Nope I said on the top bars, which are part of the frames so no not over a CB on the bees themselves.

I really really wish the makers would stop this hole in the CB business and sell them as solid. Would save a great deal of grief.

PH

for those that dont know ,the hole in the cb is for inserting a bee escape when clearing the supers,
totaly agree place the fondant directly over the top bars leave the qe in place if you like,
when you have lost a colony and you pull out the frames in spring and see bees with their heads stuffed into the comb all dead, because you left the fondant over the cb you will feel really bad trust me you will

 

[Curly green fingers]

"a good chunk of bakers fondant on the top bars directly on the cluster"

I carefully wrote that line to make sure it was clear where the fondant was put.

Did I mention over a CB? Nope I said on the top bars, which are part of the frames so no not over a CB on the bees themselves.

I really really wish the makers would stop this hole in the CB business and sell them as solid. Would save a great deal of grief.

PH

That was weeks ago poly I read your post back then and spoke to other beeks I've put the fondant on the top of the cluster and used a 1 inch eke above that crown board insulation and a deep roof which my friend gave me so all's good . Its funny you ask five bee keepers the same Questions and you get 10 different answers. with the solid crown board for wintering.

Question how long should 3kg of fondant last a hive with 6 seam's of bee's .
I suppose it all depends on numerous factors...

Cheers mark

 

[madasafish]

That was weeks ago poly I read your post back then and spoke to other beeks I've put the fondant on the top of the cluster and used a 1 inch eke above that crown board insulation and a deep roof which my friend gave me so all's good . Its funny you ask five bee keepers the same Questions and you get 10 different answers. with the solid crown board for wintering.

Question how long should 3kg of fondant last a hive with 6 seam's of bee's .
I suppose it all depends on numerous factors...

Cheers mark

About 2-3 weeks if they are not starving.. About 1 week if they are...

 

[Curly green fingers]

About 2-3 weeks if they are not starving.. About 1 week if they are...

I've just checked they've used about a third in 2 weeks or so there not starving happy days!

 

[madasafish]

I've just checked they've used about a third in 2 weeks or so there not starving happy days!

Be wary of overfeeding. Queen will be coming into lay soon (if indeed she has not already) - she will need space to lay..