I have a problem I hope someone has encountered before.  My hive is new this
year I have 2 full hive bodies (the top one is full of honey which I am
leaving for them this winter).  I cannot move the top super as one unit
since it is about 70 lbs so I use another hive body and transfer half
the capped honey fames into it and then remove the super which is now about
40 lbs to check on the brood frames below.  By the time I do all this I
takes me about 30min and the bees are really mad because I am moving slowly
and trying not to
jar them.  Last week I wanted to install a screened bottom board but I gave
up because I could not lift the
brood box to put it underneath and by that time they had been open for 40
min.  I have considered switching to shallow
supers but I would have to double up to get the same amount of honey and
brood space.  Are there any disadvantages to this? I have seen tripods
advertised- has
anyone use them and what were they like.  Thanks for any info the group may
have.

PS. I am a female and small in stature although not weak by any (I have set
state records in powerlifting) but it occurs to me that the design of these
boxes and their unwieldy nature is a back injury waiting to happen (as I'm
sure all of you know) because it is very unlikely any beekeeper would drop a
hive body under any circumstances even if a back strain occurs.