I now have a full super and its a heavy thing.
Even the brood box is heavy enough.
How is everyone moving their hive?
Am looking at making something similar to the Apihelper
Onrbikes,
I’m down here SE of Seattle in the foothills. How many hives are you working ? Are your hives 8 or 10 frame ? I’m just trying to get an idea what issues you are facing with heavy brood box(s) n supers. Do you have health or back issues. I am aware of how heavy hives full of honey n brood can be.
. Here is my apiary n one 10 double deep hive is hidden behind my barn workshop.
I’m just about to turn 71 yrs so understand being careful n moving these heavy boxes. I try to have my hives raised about 18" off the ground. Also when lifting n removing full boxes I try to have someplace off the ground 18" or so to set the heavy beasts. Really don’t want to screwup at my age. I find keeping boxes higher as I break a hive down limits issues of messing up my back. I’ve always been around having to lift heavy stuff so try to keep my back straight n lifted with my legs. That will really save your back.
I’m slowly in the progress of using lighter cedar boxes. Also I’ve with my first Flow-hive I’ve started working toward a lighter hive with 8 frames instead of the normal 10.
I use shallow honey supers because they are much lighter n easier on my back on
my several 10 frame conventional Langstroth …
Not sure if any of this info helps. But until
you figure out a lifting device be careful n lift safely n enjoy your bees.
Take care up there near Baker.
Gerald east of Renton
Sorry about the puzzle. It slipped in when I downloaded the pix’s.
Yes.lifting a full super to look in the brood box is an issue. Take some frames out?
As for moving the whole hive…if you are doing an artificial swarm where you do have to move the brood box it pays to move again frame you frame if you can’t lift the whole thing. Find and cage the queen first or better still have a nuc box handy and put the frame she is on in it to keep her safe while you work on the rest.
2 Likes
what’s the damn answer? 
1 Like
@Semaphore, it’s quite obvious really,
It just takes a little…time.
2 Likes
Semaphore,
Concentrate on the middle “10”… My brain wouldnt GO the mile for me either. This puzzle was staring me in the face for 2 months every time I walked in our BANK ! I took the here n gave to my wife. Solved by her in less than five minutes … Give it a bit more try n I or some SMARTIE can post in a day ! Gerald
It took me several months before the solution finally hit me…someone on this forum pointed it out to me. Dee? Dawn?
I keep an empty deep box on a table near my hives. When I need to remove the top brood box to inspect the bottom one, I move 4-5 frames from the top to the spare. Then it is a simple thing to lift and move the top box with the remaining frames. I can either set them aside on the ground, or stack them on top of the spare. Easy!
mb
3 Likes
Can you harvest your Flow Frames and then lift the super off?
Also, you can move the frames out individually (if you don’t want to harvest) and then afterwards move the super off the top?
All my boxes, other than the flow super, are eight frame mediums. Never over 50 lbs.
1 Like
Yeh this seems the way to go.
At present I have 3 flow hive setups (full depth) and 2 non flow hive…
The spare would allow me to modify an existing box.
Ah okay, I thought you meant a full Flow Super.
I guess that can be the hard thing with full traditional supers.
You can definitely modify your existing supers. You have probably seen this, but just in case you haven’t - https://www.honeyflow.com/faqs/modifying-a-langstroth-box-for-flow-frames/p/143#a1
Nothing like a beeeautiful pun 
1 Like
what is that to do with bees?