Well were on version 3 for checking the winter stores / hefting hives.
Firstly our tripod design turned out rather heavy. It was also not considered sustainable by the amused family audience (We won’t mention the Christmas wrapping and packaging!) due to posts, support board, wires, clips…
The result was a bit worrying as well with the hive swaying in the wind, thankfully a spare and empty hive, so the bees were saved!
Second attempt was using a single post, and trying to make a cam / leaver to apply the weight to the spring balance. In the process of calculating the spring balance length of movement to obtain a reading, plan 3 was born.
Why we did not start with this is not known. Simply get hold of a spring balance, ours has a nice scale up to 23Kilos. Place the hook centrally under the bottom box handle and heft / lift. And it works, surprise! Also you don’t have to even lift the box if you get the weight you require on the scales, so no disturbance to the bees.
Here are the figures were using again to help you. Hefting (lifting from one side only) is approx 10% accurate, the reading being light so your result is always on the safe side in terms of the hives winter stores calculation.
For the hefting procedure, the bee hive roof is removed, but the quilt box stays in place. I also put a small towel over the top to help maintain the critical hive temperature. At this time of year early January we want to see for our Warre bee hive at least half the stores remaining. This would be 6Kg plus.
So the figure were hoping to read of the scales is 6kg + 2kg for brood and bees, plus 8kg for two boxes and the quilt / towel = 16kg
We were going to video the procedure as my website man said I should. Not being computer fantastic (This is surely what children are for) we found the camera battery to be too low.
Never mind, time to take the kite to the beach.
Happy New Year
David Johnson
PS- We are charging the batteries so watch this space.
