Hive Weight
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Would that be a European honeybee or African honeybee? 
King Arthur: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are
not strangers to our land?
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
King Arthur: Not at all. They could be carried.
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds:
What? A swallow carrying a coconut?
King Arthur: It could grip it by the husk!
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five
ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.
King Arthur: Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?
King Arthur: Please!
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: Am I right?
King Arthur: The swallow may fly south with the sun or the house martin or the plover may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are
not strangers to our land?
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?
King Arthur: Not at all. They could be carried.
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds:
What? A swallow carrying a coconut?
King Arthur: It could grip it by the husk!
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: It's not a question of where he grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios! A five
ounce bird could not carry a one pound coconut.
King Arthur: Well, it doesn't matter. Will you go and tell your master that Arthur from the Court of Camelot is here?
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: Listen. In order to maintain air-speed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right?
King Arthur: Please!
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: Am I right?
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How'd you know I was enjoying some mead tonight? Mmmm, tart cherry! Yum!
Mmmm, tart cherry! Yum!
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3,418 Posts
Brood itself weighs "almost nothing".
Bees also weigh "almost nothing".
Even the wax would weigh more.
Stored honey on the brood frames would
swamp out the weight of all of the above.
While strain gauges and "load cells" are
available that can weigh loads with
"to the gram" accuracy, they cost hundreds
of dollars.
If we take the rule of thumb that "a pound of
bees" contains about 3500 to 4000 bees, and
assume that sealed brood weighs exactly as much
as a fully-grown bee, one might be able to
weigh empty equipment, weigh a fully-drawn
but empty frame, and do some math to figure out
the total weight of bees plus brood to within
a pound or so, but even 1-pound accuracy is
difficult to get without the same sort of
very expensive electronic scales.
Bees also weigh "almost nothing".
Even the wax would weigh more.
Stored honey on the brood frames would
swamp out the weight of all of the above.
While strain gauges and "load cells" are
available that can weigh loads with
"to the gram" accuracy, they cost hundreds
of dollars.
If we take the rule of thumb that "a pound of
bees" contains about 3500 to 4000 bees, and
assume that sealed brood weighs exactly as much
as a fully-grown bee, one might be able to
weigh empty equipment, weigh a fully-drawn
but empty frame, and do some math to figure out
the total weight of bees plus brood to within
a pound or so, but even 1-pound accuracy is
difficult to get without the same sort of
very expensive electronic scales.
I am going to do some pollination and need an at least semi-serious estimate.
As I am new to beekeeping I have no idea and look to the fine folks for a rough estimate (on the high side) so I can figure out how many double deeps my present double axle trailer can handle.
Thanks for the humor though.........
As I am new to beekeeping I have no idea and look to the fine folks for a rough estimate (on the high side) so I can figure out how many double deeps my present double axle trailer can handle.
Thanks for the humor though.........
Sundance: That off-the-cuff- estimate I gave above was not totally frivilous....I based it on the average weight of sbb, 2 deeps with 10 frames of drawn comb each, migratory top, honey stores avg in ND in Feb (as you said) and estimated avg cluster in Feb. If you are asking this to estimate transport weight of, say, 100 colonies of that configuration, I'd give an educated guess of 6200-7000 pounds.....given the parameters you specified....
Bullseye - You're not too far away.....come visit...bring lots of mead!!!....if you're too busy to come visit, send the mead!!! Also the Tales of Camelot book!!
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Bullseye - You're not too far away.....come visit...bring lots of mead!!!....if you're too busy to come visit, send the mead!!! Also the Tales of Camelot book!!
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Going into winter you want to have about 120 lbs of hive, bees and stores. It would diminish somewhat by Feb due to bees dieing off and stores being used up.
I would estimate (now with a clearer head) that the high side would be about 80 lbs., 100 lbs. if you still have a good supply of stores.
I would estimate (now with a clearer head) that the high side would be about 80 lbs., 100 lbs. if you still have a good supply of stores.
I think BB is in the ballpark. A "normal" semi load of double deeps is 408 hives, so within weight limits of 48,000 lbs. a load would average around 118 lbs. per hive, although some loads are considerably lighter. But I would think around 80 - 100 lbs. on Feb. 1 is about right.
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Doesn't a semi haul around 500 hives? If they're hauling 40,000 lb loads that fits with the 80-100lb estimate.
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