Hive Scale updated daily in Birmingham, Alabama

Foxhound · May 10, 2015, 10:46:19 PM

I wanted to share this with you all, as this would have been helpful when I started keeping bees.

I have a good, strong hive that is on a hive scale. Any day that it isn't raining and I am available, I weight it.

All of the info is published immediately and any notes I make are attached to the graph.

I hope you find it helpful to follow it and compare it to what you are seeing, especially if you live in the south.

http://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com/hive-data/

NewSouth · May 11, 2015, 06:34:51 PM

Great Blog and Information! I know there is another Senior Beek in JeffCo that has a hive on a scale but don't remember his name. He is active in Jefferson County Beekeepers Assoc.

I appreciate your effort! I will likely follow your blog daily now. Kind Regards. Rick

Foxhound · May 11, 2015, 10:20:15 PM

Hey Newsouth- Yea, I probably know who you are talking about. I'm on the board for that association, so i'm getting to know a lot of members there.

The hard part of using a hive scale is sharing the info with others easily. It's hard to understand what the numbers mean, so hopefully my graph is easy to understand.

NewSouth · May 12, 2015, 01:10:08 PM

Your graph is easy to read and straight forward. Very well done. I live in South Shelby Co. and so I'm probably a few days ahead in the honey flow. I went to Homewood on Saturday and noticed that you have more privet still in bloom. I think the privet will be finished within the week down here.
Clover is coming on strong now. Tulip Pop is long gone.
Keep up the good work! Thanks too.

DeepCreek · May 12, 2015, 01:29:52 PM

Thanks for providing the link to the stand. Did you buy software to do the graphing, or is it something you came up with?

GSF · May 12, 2015, 10:11:25 PM

Interesting. We're down the road from yall - Chilton County Beekeepers Association.

Foxhound · May 13, 2015, 12:34:05 AM

Deep Creek- Nope, I didn't buy anything. It is all done through Google sheets. I enter the weight into the sheet in my phone and it automatically updates to the website. It's pretty easy, now that it's all setup.

NewSouth · June 15, 2015, 02:08:06 PM

Hope to encourage you to keep weighing your hive! This month is the interesting one.

I appreciate your effort.

sc-bee · June 15, 2015, 05:53:11 PM

Yes nice graph and effort. THe only one I don't understand is the orange line and I am sure that is just me.
However is the the statment inyeded in your top explanation:

>If the red line is moving down, the bees are consuming more honey than they are consuming?

DeepCreek · June 17, 2015, 03:25:45 PM

I understand you're using Google sheets. But... you're giving weights on multiple variables, i.e. total honey weight. How are the different weights being calculated, as a scale will only measure total weight.

Foxhound · September 07, 2015, 04:06:39 PM

Quote from: DeepCreek on May 12, 2015, 01:29:52 PM
Thanks for providing the link to the stand. Did you buy software to do the graphing, or is it something you came up with?

Hey deepcreek. Didn't buy any software for it. I use google sheets to track information and the graph is imported to the website. It works pretty well for me. I can just plug the number into my phone and it will import to the website immediately.

Foxhound · September 07, 2015, 04:09:39 PM

Quote from: sc-bee on June 15, 2015, 05:53:11 PM
Yes nice graph and effort. THe only one I don't understand is the orange line and I am sure that is just me.
However is the the statment inyeded in your top explanation:

>If the red line is moving down, the bees are consuming more honey than they are consuming?

Thanks for that. It's been updated thanks to you. The orange line is the 7-day average in weight change. It is somewhat obsolete because of the other 2 lines. I may take it off.

Foxhound · September 07, 2015, 04:11:19 PM

Quote from: DeepCreek on June 17, 2015, 03:25:45 PM
I understand you're using Google sheets. But... you're giving weights on multiple variables, i.e. total honey weight. How are the different weights being calculated, as a scale will only measure total weight.

I know what equipment is on it and how much each piece weights, within a couple ounces. I can subtract the weight of the equipment from the total weight the scale is measuring.

Whatever number that is represents, honey, bees, wax and the other small stuff. More than 90% of that weight would be honey.

Foxhound · April 27, 2016, 11:15:01 AM

Nectar flow is about to get into full steam here in Birmingham, AL. Hives will be gaining 5+ pounds a day pretty soon.

GSF · April 27, 2016, 02:46:27 PM

My hives have been exploding for a couple of weeks now, it's headed your way

sweet_nature · April 29, 2016, 08:50:27 PM

I am a first time beekeeper and live in Ashville, AL...just got my bees a week ago.

Did my first inspection today..It went ok but it's really hard to spot all the things I need to see as my eye is untrained....I know that hive was really busy and did not spot any queen cells and they have room to expand and were storing necter or water and drawing comb in some of the new frame cells. I am confident the queen is fine but I did not see her. Think I will open it again in a few days and focus totally on the center frames.

BeeMaster2 · April 30, 2016, 01:18:29 AM

You do not want to bee inspecting your bees every few days. Give them at least a week before inspecting again. As new beekeeper you need to be in the hive to learn what is going on but do it too often and they will either kill the queen or abscond. Remember every time you do a complete inspection it can take the bees up to 3 days to repair everything. Also during those 3 days the bees are ignoring the small hive beetles and the beetles are laying thousands of eggs in the hive. The. The bees have to remove every one of them or your hive will be slimed.

Jim

Foxhound · May 01, 2016, 11:41:46 PM

Quote from: sweet_nature on April 29, 2016, 08:50:27 PM
I am a first time beekeeper and live in Ashville, AL...just got my bees a week ago.

Did my first inspection today..It went ok but it's really hard to spot all the things I need to see as my eye is untrained....I know that hive was really busy and did not spot any queen cells and they have room to expand and were storing necter or water and drawing comb in some of the new frame cells. I am confident the queen is fine but I did not see her. Think I will open it again in a few days and focus totally on the center frames.

Keep at it @sweet_nature. You can learn a lot by looking at the frames, but take a moment and look at the bees coming in and out of the entrance. You'll see the most activity around 2 each day, so that's a good time to have a watch. Glad you are enjoying beekeeping, it is really rewarding.

BeeMaster2 · May 02, 2016, 12:39:40 PM

Quote from: Foxhound on May 01, 2016, 11:41:46 PM
Quote from: sweet_nature on April 29, 2016, 08:50:27 PM
I am a first time beekeeper and live in Ashville, AL...just got my bees a week ago.

Did my first inspection today..It went ok but it's really hard to spot all the things I need to see as my eye is untrained....I know that hive was really busy and did not spot any queen cells and they have room to expand and were storing necter or water and drawing comb in some of the new frame cells. I am confident the queen is fine but I did not see her. Think I will open it again in a few days and focus totally on the center frames.

Keep at it @sweet_nature. You can learn a lot by looking at the frames, but take a moment and look at the bees coming in and out of the entrance. You'll see the most activity around 2 each day, so that's a good time to have a watch. Glad you are enjoying beekeeping, it is really rewarding.

Foxhound,
Good info but the time of day that the bees are most active depends on what plants they are working. Some provide nectar all day, some in the morning only, some in the afternoon only.
It all depends on your area. Your bees may be working one flower in the morning and a different one in the afternoon.
Jim

Acebird · May 02, 2016, 12:40:47 PM

I would love to see the results without any sugar water added.