Monitoring stores in a nuc

[Jon]

I'm going to away for a couple of months at the start of next year so I am wary about leaving nucs short of stores when I can't check every week or two.

I bought myself a set of these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Designer-Electronic-Digital-Glass-Bathroom-Scales-New-/110592820458?pt=UK_Home_Garden_BathroomAccessories _SM&hash=item19bfd884ea) on E-bay, £10.99 +free postage and they originate in Irvine so you can even give a boost to the Scottish economy. Looks like we are all going back to scratching a living on the island of Ireland but at least the potatoes are more reliable than in 1840.

I am using these to weigh my nucs to work out the rate of decrease of stores.
All you have to do is set the scale on a flat surface, set on the nuc, set it back and write down the reading on the nuc record sheet. The electronic scale locks the reading so it is better than 'borrowing' any old bathroom scales and also reduces the chance of a bee related domestic incident.
I weighed 7 nucs 10 days ago and I weighed them all again this morning.
It takes about 10 minutes altogether.
They had all decreased in weight varing form 0.3k to 0.7k.
The weight of an empty nuc and frames is 2.5 k and I reckon the weight of bees to be between 1k and 2k.
At the moment they weigh from 6.6k to 11.5k so the lighter ones will certainly need a few kilos of fondant before March.

[gavin]

LOL!! But don't count on the reliability of the potatoes ....

Allen Dick of Alberta was following weight changes in some of his hives this time last year. There will be discussion in the Bee-L archives, and also in his diary.

http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/images/2009/9k10.h14.jpg

For example this period last November: http://www.honeybeeworld.com/diary/2009/diary111009.htm

[Jon]

The Irish needed Dr Who with a bag of Sarpo in 1840 although people here are that fussy about their spuds they would have sent him back for something less waxy after tightening the belt.

That colony above lost a lot of weight in a month.
In my case, I expect the rate of loss to decrease as there is probably a small amount of brood left to heat in some of the nucs.
The flat scales are great. last year I bought luggage scales to weigh my main colonies but I think they will all be fine for stores.
I usually end up removing stores in spring to give the queen more room to lay.

[Jon]

I weighed my 7 nucs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW8K7kOiZ04)this morning and there was hardly any decrease in weight in the last 8 days of this very cold weather. Most of them had only lost 200-300 grammes and they have between 3k and 8k of stores in reserve as I know the weight of an empty nuc with drawn frames.
They are all still alive as you can hear a steady hum if you put your ear to the side of the box.
The strongest nuc had lost the most weight which is not surprising as there are more mouths to feed.
Even the lightest with 3k stores would be ok for a couple of months at this rate (assuming they can reach the stores) but I intend to make all up to at least 6k stores with fondant when I treat with Oxalic in a couple of weeks.