Hive Tipping

A simple way to check the progress of your hive during the crucial nectar flow period is by using a crude but effective weight check.  Go to the back of the hive, grab the hive cup handle (or cleat) of the lowest hive body, and lift.  This tips the whole hive forward. It should feel quite heavy now, and get progressively heavier each week throughout the nectar flow.  If your hive is not gaining weight at this time of  year in the Willamette Valley, the colony might need supplemental feeding, or it might be in trouble.  By end of the season, tipping the hive should  feel nearly impossible because of the stored honey.