Yep, the physics of hefting a hive.
Even if it isn't, imagine it was on 4 legs. The weight of the hive is shared roughtly equally between the four.
So if you just raise two of them, to take a weight, you have approx 50% of the weight to just clear the floor with the 2 lifted legs.
Do it on the other side to get a far more accurate weight of the whole by adding both weights together.
P H says, in metric terms, lift about 100mm. Theoretically, zero height but clear of the floor is the ideal, but practically, 100mm will make little difference. But imagine as you lift it higher and higher, the total weight will eventually all be on the two legs left on the ground, when it will be 'in balance' and neither falling one way or the other.
One should heft on both sides for the best result because the bees may have used all the stores along one side and none on the other (think here of a wheel barrow weight when a) lifting the handles and b) when lifting the 'wheel' end).
Generally, there is a little dependance on which way the frames run - fore to aft, or side to side, as to whether to raise front and back or side and side (or rather if only hefting from just one , not two positions.
Regards, RAB
Even if it isn't, imagine it was on 4 legs. The weight of the hive is shared roughtly equally between the four.
So if you just raise two of them, to take a weight, you have approx 50% of the weight to just clear the floor with the 2 lifted legs.
Do it on the other side to get a far more accurate weight of the whole by adding both weights together.
P H says, in metric terms, lift about 100mm. Theoretically, zero height but clear of the floor is the ideal, but practically, 100mm will make little difference. But imagine as you lift it higher and higher, the total weight will eventually all be on the two legs left on the ground, when it will be 'in balance' and neither falling one way or the other.
One should heft on both sides for the best result because the bees may have used all the stores along one side and none on the other (think here of a wheel barrow weight when a) lifting the handles and b) when lifting the 'wheel' end).
Generally, there is a little dependance on which way the frames run - fore to aft, or side to side, as to whether to raise front and back or side and side (or rather if only hefting from just one , not two positions.
Regards, RAB
