Following advice on the Forum, I bought a luggage scale. Spent most of yesterday visiting apiaries, weighing hives and Nucs, which I did by lifting each side, double checking, then adding the 2 measurements together. With a couple of polyhives and nucs I was just about able to lift the whole thing, as well as each side & came out with very similar weights, so adding the 2 sides together seems to work well.
I then set up empty versions of each hive configuration in the garage with empty drawn brood & super frames & estimated the weight of the bees to deduce the amount of stores left. Was a long old process due to different hive and Nuc configurations. Whilst it hasn't resulted in any different decisions to the hefting I’ve done the last 3 seasons, I’m now clearer on the weights of each & pleasantly surprised about how frugal some colonies are compared to others (mostly I have black bees). Thought I’d share what I’d found bearing in mind I live in Yorkshire, rather than the balmy south & also ask a question about how you decide when to add fondant:
At the end of September each colony was at their ‘target’ weight of between 40-50lb (18-22kg) stores; with single 6 frame Nucs at 25lb (11.3kg), from a detailed visual inspection, well before I had the luggage scales
Interesting results by Apiary:
Site 1 out-apiary, edge of town, 190m above sea level. On average hives have consumed c15lb (7 kg) stores since end Sept. This is far more than last year when they consumed 23lb (10.5kg) stores the whole winter, end Sept - end March; the colonies are similar in size yoy. Colonies have on average 25lb (11.5kg) stores left, with 2 polyhives down to 17-20lb (8-9kg), so I put fondant on both of these. Removing these 2 ’outliers’, colonies have 30lb (13.5kg) stores left.
Site 2 out-apiary town centre, 110m above sea level. On average hives have consumed just 5lb (2.2kg) stores since end Sept, so clearly have better access to autumn forage. One hive has put on weight. The 6 frame Nuc has 17lb (7.7kg) stores & the full colonies (WBCs and double nucs) now have 41lb (18.5kg) stores left
Site 3 home, 320m above sea level, 3 degrees colder & more wind & rain, Bronte country! On average hives have used just 1lb stores since end Sept, with on av 48lb stores left each. Can't quite believe the results but have triple checked. Maybe I just under estimated what they had at the end of September, guess what's there now is more important.
In the past I’ve hefted once every couple of weeks. Think I’ll continue to do this & get the scales out every other time, as definitely takes longer, or maybe I’ll get quicker & slicker!
So for the question, if you also weigh your hives, at what weight of net stores do you decide to add fondant? Or don’t you think that much about it & just add for insurance re isolation starvation, if we have a really cold spell? Seems I don't need to worry too much about 2 of my apiaries yet, but hives are using much more in one apiary.
Be interesting to hear your thoughts please.
Thanks
Elaine
I then set up empty versions of each hive configuration in the garage with empty drawn brood & super frames & estimated the weight of the bees to deduce the amount of stores left. Was a long old process due to different hive and Nuc configurations. Whilst it hasn't resulted in any different decisions to the hefting I’ve done the last 3 seasons, I’m now clearer on the weights of each & pleasantly surprised about how frugal some colonies are compared to others (mostly I have black bees). Thought I’d share what I’d found bearing in mind I live in Yorkshire, rather than the balmy south & also ask a question about how you decide when to add fondant:
At the end of September each colony was at their ‘target’ weight of between 40-50lb (18-22kg) stores; with single 6 frame Nucs at 25lb (11.3kg), from a detailed visual inspection, well before I had the luggage scales
Interesting results by Apiary:
Site 1 out-apiary, edge of town, 190m above sea level. On average hives have consumed c15lb (7 kg) stores since end Sept. This is far more than last year when they consumed 23lb (10.5kg) stores the whole winter, end Sept - end March; the colonies are similar in size yoy. Colonies have on average 25lb (11.5kg) stores left, with 2 polyhives down to 17-20lb (8-9kg), so I put fondant on both of these. Removing these 2 ’outliers’, colonies have 30lb (13.5kg) stores left.
Site 2 out-apiary town centre, 110m above sea level. On average hives have consumed just 5lb (2.2kg) stores since end Sept, so clearly have better access to autumn forage. One hive has put on weight. The 6 frame Nuc has 17lb (7.7kg) stores & the full colonies (WBCs and double nucs) now have 41lb (18.5kg) stores left
Site 3 home, 320m above sea level, 3 degrees colder & more wind & rain, Bronte country! On average hives have used just 1lb stores since end Sept, with on av 48lb stores left each. Can't quite believe the results but have triple checked. Maybe I just under estimated what they had at the end of September, guess what's there now is more important.
In the past I’ve hefted once every couple of weeks. Think I’ll continue to do this & get the scales out every other time, as definitely takes longer, or maybe I’ll get quicker & slicker!
So for the question, if you also weigh your hives, at what weight of net stores do you decide to add fondant? Or don’t you think that much about it & just add for insurance re isolation starvation, if we have a really cold spell? Seems I don't need to worry too much about 2 of my apiaries yet, but hives are using much more in one apiary.
Be interesting to hear your thoughts please.
Thanks
Elaine