Weight of hives

[keswickb]

Have 2two hives ,1 is 10 frame double deep with 6 5/8 super on top and its weight is 170lbs..Hive 2 is three 10 frame 65/8 mediums and its weight is 140lbs.Is that a good weight for both hives? Thanks.

[oblib]

I would think for your area that is a plenty.

[keswickb]

Thanks

[ralittlefield]

You have 3 medium supers that average over 46 LBS each? That seems a little high to me. Is there any brood or open cells in that hive?

Actually both seem a little high to me.

[oblib]

Actually both seem a little high to me.

I thought both sounded heavy too. but surely enough.

[sqkcrk]

Heavy, but, can you have too much honey. Should they survive winter, you should have plenty of honey to make splits w/ in April. Or March even.

[keswickb]

I think a little heavy too,but there isnt much nector coming in.Kind of thinking they will comsume some in next couble of weeks.I dont like going into hives this late.But I guess I need to take quit look and see about brood space and brood.Thanks all

[Lburou]

Keswickb, how are you measuring the weight of your hives? I'm considering adapting a luggage scale to keep track of my hives throughout the year.

[Belewsboy]

Not only do I weigh my hives, I plot the results as well. I designed a very portable scale using a luggage scale. I don't really know the actual weight of my hives...just sort of guessed and created a formula to derive my results. I hope to borrow a digital shipping scale from work soon, weigh an entire hive and adjust my readings accordingly. It is amazing to see how the weights fluctuate with feeding, the blooming of the goldenrod and now that we are nearing winter, how quickly my hives are consuming their stores. I look forward to each "Weigh Day" to see the results. I am attaching a copy of the graph. The white dots on the lines indicate feeding syrup.Bee Hive Weight 2012.jpg

[Belewsboy]

Weigh Day is tomorrow. Haven't been feeding and the goldenrod is gone. Might be interesting. Hives are still heavily populated, so they're eating their stores up faster than I'd like..

[sqkcrk]

Hives are still heavily populated, so they're eating their stores up faster than I'd like..

Unless you have been monitoring weight loss each day, what makes you think that they have been eating up stores faster than you'd like. Heavy population doesn't necassarily mean heavy consumption.

[Belewsboy]

Unless you have been monitoring weight loss each day, what makes you think that they have been eating up stores faster than you'd like. Heavy population doesn't necassarily mean heavy consumption.

I don't even know how to respond to a statement like that.

[sqkcrk]

What makes you think they are eating up their stores?

[Belewsboy]

What makes you think they are not?
How do you explain hive weight loss when they have nothing to bring in?

[sqkcrk]

So you are weighing your hives and that's how you know they are lossing weight. That's what I asked.


Bees be with you.

[Belewsboy]

That is correct.