A hive on scales

[Jon]

I think that one I linked to is in a museum to do with weighing.
I used to see things like that at local auctions.

[gavin]

Can I share a post from Mike Rowbottom in Yorkshire, as posted to Bee-L last October?

Dear all

I have found a digital baggage weigher to be an easy tool for hive weighing.
It needs a strap or chain with a hook (made from a 6" nail) to go under one
side of the hive. Hook under each side in turn and lift just enough to get
the side off the ground. Take a reading each side and add the weights
together for the hive weight.

Typical scales weigh up to 100 Lbs, they hold the reading on the display
after it is taken, they work off a pair of AAA batteries, they fit in your
overall pocket and they retail in the UK for about UK£15-say US$24.


Best wishes

Mike Rowbottom

HARROGATE
North Yorkshire
UK

[Jon]

Hi Gavin.
I have one of those baggage scales and I bought my dad one for Christmas.
It's called a Balanzza.
It is good for doing a one off but it would be a nightmare for what Doris is proposing where you need constant readings. You also need good biceps. I think the colony needs to be sitting on a permanent scale. There is a margin of error with the luggage scale depending upon how well you get the hive centered and you will end up over the 100 lb limit once supers are on. Some of mine were 80lbs+ in December with the weight of box, stand, crown board etc included.

[gavin]

Quite right.

[POPZ]

I agree - tried one of them baggage lifters this winter and not only nearly tipped the whole hive over but also realised it was time I needed to do some biceps toning! And as Jon says, it was very difficult to get an accurate reading because of the weight and angle it has to be used at.
Not a good idea I am afraid.
POPZ

[Stromnessbees]

Sometime during the summer I managed to set up my hive on scales in an old barn:

DSCF4828..jpg

The idea had been to monitor the increase of weight during a honey flow and other fluctuations.

But unfortunately, due to a mishap, the queen turned into a drone-layer and so the weight just dropped away until I realized what was going on and requeened the colony.

This setup could work just fine, but I do fancy something a bit more sophistcated.

How about a hive on a weather-proof set of electronic scales in an out-apiary, with automatic readings and fitted with a nifty device that sends a text message to your mobile if the daily increase is over a certain amount. Then you could just pick up all your other hives and move them to the apiary with the honey-flow ...

... dreaming on, Doris

[gavin]

.... with an option for members of the local association to tap into this information together with an automated system to warn people if they were siting an apiary within 1 km of another one .....

(and a live link to a webcam to check that the extra weight wasn't the neighbour's cat deciding to take a nap on top of the hive .... )

[Jimbo]

How about trying to make your own scales. If it works I will buy a set of scales from you.
http://www.beehacker.com/wp/?page_id=55&cpage=1