4 MOST COMMON REASONS TO USE A BEEHIVE SCALE

Amount of honey in the hive
Honey is one of the beekeeper’s main goals. If the bees are able to collect enough nectar, they are most likely in good condition. It is important to harvest some of the honey to reduce the risk of swarming, while also leaving enough stores for the colony to survive the winter. Bees also need sufficient stores for spring development, when plants are not yet producing nectar. Monitoring the hive throughout one season will provide valuable information that can make the following season easier and more successful.

Winter season
Winter is the most difficult period for bees. Only around one fifth of the colony remains in the hive. If the bees continue to die, the entire colony may collapse before spring. It is a period during which 20–40% of bee colonies are lost every year. By monitoring the hive weight, you can determine how much food the bees have available and whether they need additional feeding before winter. With an accurate beehive scale, you can also detect during autumn and winter whether the colony is gradually weakening. The hive weight may decrease every day as individual sick bees leave the hive.

Swarming
When a colony swarms, the beehive scale immediately signals that a sudden change has occurred. An online beehive scale informs you about an unusual drop in weight, so you know that you need to catch the swarm or inspect the colony.

Healthy and productive colonies
If you use several beehive scales, you can accurately identify your strongest colonies and distinguish them from those that are falling behind. This allows you to select the best genetic material and achieve better results during the following season.

You can reproduce the strongest colonies and replace the queens in weaker colonies. After several seasons, your apiary can consist mainly of above-average, healthy colonies. Your work will be rewarded not only with higher honey yields, but also with easier colony management.