I’ve been on the lookout periodically for a hive scale for some time. Craigslist is the best way to locate a farm scale which tends to be the standard hive scale back yard beekeepers use. What I don’t like about the grain scales is their bulk, lack of availability, need for weight plates and your physical presence to assess the hive weight.
My dream scale was low-profile, easy to use, digital and ideally, moveable from hive to hive. Digital scales cost ~$600, which was why I hadn’t bought one. Then Rusty posted about the Broodminder-w. A digital, low-profile, crowd-funded scale which uses an app for the data. And it cost $150. Brilliant! I ordered one and anxiously waited.
It arrived last week and was installed Sunday.
So simple and unobtrusive!
The metal part (lower part of screen) is the support for the scale, the green part is a plastic piece that goes between the metal base and the scale which serves to protect the bottom of the wooden scale. There is a clear plastic cover that covers the top of the wooden scale to protect it from the elements as well.
A 2×4 is placed at the opposing end, the app is downloaded and after zeroing the scale, the scale is installed, the app picks up the scale and after a few minutes, you have a weight! Since the scale is slightly thicker than a 2×4, another one can be placed behind the scale to allow easy transfer to another hive, just a simple lever against that 2×4 allows me to pull out the scale and put it under another hive.
The best part is that while I’m on vacation (posting from Lisbon now!) the data continues to be collected and once I get back, I can just upload the data to the app. Nobody has to weigh it for me in my absence!
Suburban Rancher 