Winter weight

[user 15607]

Ive never thought that hefting was very scientific so as I intend to weigh my hives each month starting Oct 1st I was wondering what the optimum weight of a hive should be going into winter.

National brood ?
14 x 12 ?
Langstroth brood ?

 

[Codford]

Wood, Poly or both?

 

[Finman]

.
Open the hive and look what is inside. Then weight and you know your situation.

You cannot nurse your hives via others' information.

Hefting has nothing to do with science. Everybody can heft.

 

[user 15607]

Wood, Poly or both?

That was going to be my next question, is the weight recommend by ye olde beekeepers including the weight of the hive or just the stores within ?

I'm running wooden national and poly langstroth

 

[Finman]

That was going to be my next question, is the weight recommend by ye olde beekeepers including the weight of the hive or just the stores within ?

I'm running wooden national and poly langstroth

While you write here, open the hve and look how ful are cells, how much brood and how much capped.

 

[madasafish]

Ive never thought that hefting was very scientific so as I intend to weigh my hives each month starting Oct 1st I was wondering what the optimum weight of a hive should be going into winter.

National brood ?
14 x 12 ?
Langstroth brood ?

I weigh Floor Lang jumbo brood, nadired super and crown board.No roof..
My target weight of the above for winter is 35-40kg...for wood, 30-35kg for poly..

By spring most will be in the range 18-22kg. (18 is virtually no stores and poly)
Wooden hives have poly cosies..not weighed.

 

[user 15607]

.
Open the hive and look what is inside. Then weight and you know your situation.

You cannot nurse your hives via others' information.

Hefting has nothing to do with science. Everybody can heft.

But the second time I heft the hives I might not have had my weatabix and the hive may feel heavier than it actually is.

 

[user 15607]

While you write here, open the hve and look how ful are cells, how much brood and how much capped.

But the wise old sage's on here keep saying hives should not be inspected till march!

 

[Finman]

.
What ever.

I feed one box hives so much as they take. And I do not weigh.

2 box hives I weight, because they may take there 10 kg too mucb sugar.
Then I am in trouble, where I put extra sugar frames.

I weigh hives with bathroom balance from back side.. It is beter than luckage balance.