An empty 2-story colony with bees but no honey weighs about 70 lbs. Add to that the honey they need for the winter. I lift them right off the ground with my scales to get a true reading. 2-story colony must weigh 140 lbs here in NW Vermont. Mike Pheysey wrote: > How heavy should a hive be going into winter? I'm a bit > worried that mine are a bit on the light side. > > When weighing a hive with a spring guage, do you weigh > each side of the hive in turn, with the other side still > resting on the hive stand and add the two weights together, > or do you take the average? > > Also, have I left it too late for feeding? > > Cheers, Mike. (Bristol, UK) > (PS: My bees are in BS Nationals)