New addition to the apiary.

[ebee]

I’m envious. I dream of just such a set-up as yours (but probably end up with bathroom scales). I want to weigh them morning and evening every day to record the weight gain for that day and again next morning to see how much water has been evaporated from the nectar overnight.

 

[richardbees]

ebee,
- what you can do is regularly lift one edge/side of your hive, just enough to take the weight so you gradually learn how heavy it feels at different stages of the year..
It's called 'hefting' and will prove invaluable when assessing whether to feed or not in the early Spring .

 

[itma]

ebee,
- what you can do is regularly lift one edge/side of your hive, just enough to take the weight so you gradually learn how heavy it feels at different stages of the year..
It's called 'hefting' and will prove invaluable when assessing whether to feed or not in the early Spring .

And if you 'lift' the side with a luggage scale you can get the numbers you crave!

Attach an unside-down hook (or a big screw) to the floor. Exactly halfway back. One each side of the hive. That gives you something to hook your luggage scale onto.
Lift each side just a few mm. Add the weights together for the hive total.
Note that you need to weigh immediately before and after adding or removing or changing any hive component(s).

Anyway, it can be done. Easily.

Luggage scales (handle for you to lift by, hook for the suitcase handle) are cheap - as little as £1.
I think my digital example cost £7 at Lidl.

Oh, and it would be nice if someone would set up a spare wooden hive, empty and sealed, just to see how much the wood's wetness actually affects the measured weight ...

 

[PBee]

If they are still available or you have to hand an old analog bathroom scales you can build a base with a 'periscope' for reading the weight. The bases used to be stocked by some of the bee suppliers at the bee course in Gormanston as far as I can remember.

Plans for building the platform (A pdf under the heading 'Build a Hive Scale') ...... http://www.nhbeekeepers.org/

 

[Les]

I have taken advantage of the cold snap and moved my p*ynes 14x12 poly nuc onto the scales.
For the record the gross weight is 34.2kg (stand, bricks etc.) and the weight of the nuc is 15.3kg there is a slab of fondant in there that the bees have started on. I can now very accurately ‘heft’ the hive without lifting it.