Estimate colony stores from a whole-hive weight or rear-lift measurement using an editable non-honey tare and winter target.
Calculator + methodology reviewed September 17, 2026.
WINTER PREP
Hive Weight → Estimated Stores
Use a whole-hive scale weight or a rear-lift reading, subtract your best non-honey tare estimate, and compare the resulting store estimate with your chosen target.
lb
lb
lb honey
Non-honey tare includes equipment plus your estimate for bees, brood, pollen, and other contents. Rear-lift mode doubles the lift reading as a rough total-hive approximation.
Estimated honey stores
65.0lb
Estimated total hive weight95.0 lb
Entered non-honey tare30.0 lb
Target stores80.0 lb
Estimated gap15.0 lb short
This is an estimate, not a direct honey measurement. Hive configuration, moisture, pollen, brood, propolis, bee population, and where the weight sits in the hive affect the result.
WEIGHING HIVES
Use hive weight as a repeatable estimate, not a magic conversion
Extension guidance emphasizes fall colony weight because light colonies may need supplemental feed. Utah State Extension gives an 80–100 lb winter-honey target for its conditions and also describes 10–12 deep frames filled on both sides as a rule of thumb. Your target should match your region, hive configuration, and management experience.
Why enter tare?A scale weighs wood, wax, bees, brood, pollen, honey, feeders, lids, and moisture together. Subtracting a local baseline is the only way to turn gross hive weight into a rough store estimate.
Weigh a similarly configured empty hive or record a known-light colony after spring cleanup. The closer your equipment configuration matches the colony being assessed, the more useful the estimate becomes.