The BeeWeigh
Purpose of the BeeWeigh
To determine the weight of a beehive without opening, lifting or disassembling the hive
This Website
This website is designed to provide enough information so that you should be able to build, calibrate and use your own BeeWeigh. The site was updated last on 29 December, 2014
A BeeWeigh in postion to make a measurement
What is it?
It is a light-weight, portable, collapsible, accurate and relatively inexpensive device that measures the weight of a complete beehive without doing any heavy lifting. The gross and net weights of a hive can be determined in less than a minute
Why Use One?
The net weight of a hive gives an indication of the build-up, or consumption, of stores; the amount of comb being drawn and the amount of brood present. Tracking net, versus gross, weight provides a very good management tool that does not require constant opening of the hive which could be very disruptive.
Accuracy
The BeeWeighis 99+% accurate in determining the actual weight of a hive. But, keep in mind that the real utility is measuring the change in weight from one time to another.
How is it used?
The lifting dowel hooks under the side of the hive while the fulcrum dowel rests on top of the hive stand
The BeeWeigh is placed on the hive stand with the lifting dowel hooked under the side of the hive at the center point
The horizontal arm of the BeeWeigh is a simple lever. Forcing down the end of the arm until it is level raises the side of the hive a small amount. The amount of lift is determined by the distance between the bottom of the fulcrum piece and the top of the dowel hooked under the side of the hive. Click here for further details on making measurements.
Transportability:
The BeeWeigh folds for easy transport and storage
The BeeWeigh folds for easy transport
