Your Mann Lake 8-Frame Langstroths may be slightly different in size - not enough to make them unusable, but you may want to give them a ring and check. The reason I say this is that 8-Frame Langs have a fixed long side length, but the short side can vary from 13.75 to 14 inches. So you may have a box which is 1/8 inch smaller on each side if Mann Lake uses 13.75 inches. Flow uses the 14 inch size. It won’t matter to the bees, but some people don’t like the look.
Mann Lake quality is getting a bit of a pasting recently. Considering how lovely the flow hive looks I would be tempted to get boxes made by somebody who makes beehives.
Having said that I am putting mine on a poly brood box
Thank you. I actually live on the South Coast near Rye so not far from Mann Lake in Canterbury. Won’t make the show but really appreciate the help everyone is giving!
Thank you. I will give Mann Lake a call to find out about their sizing. The Beethinking model looks better as it is cedar and the Mann Lake is pine, but I really cannot justify international air freight for something like this!
Adam,
Glad you got what you needed. All mine are pine I built n assembled in my tiny woodshop here. Being/living in Washington state east of Seattle Beethinking company is a skip n jump down the road in Oregon. I’ve got a full setup of cedar hives boxes ordered from them. Not in any RUSH as this will only be an extra standby ready for emergency or backup should a SWARM venture near us.
How’s your Spring coming across the Pond ? Ours has been mild but record damp per my records as well as NOAA recent Wx notes.
We have a few Dandilions showing color as well. Wish I had my three new Nuc’s here but alas not until mid April delivery per suppliers n I am on the very top of their list.
Hi there,
I just found out that my bees are not being loaded into my flow hive brood box. The hive they had planned to sell me had med frame box. I wanted my deep frames. So now I am having to have two brood boxes the med frame established box and then I will need to add mine but I am not sure about this entire shift. Do I put the established hive on my bottom board hate to BEE picky and I do not want to loose these bees as we cant import. I also hate to have a non cedar brood box on my flow. Weird but it is a big deal for me. Any input for a newbee. Suggestions? He is going to measure it if it doesn’t fit any suggestions?
I would start that way, but when I expanded the brood boxes, I would put the next one underneath that medium box. The bees like it that way - it disturbs them much less than adding a box on top when they are still trying to grow.
Thanks I am kind of bummed out I didn’t want a pine box I spent so much on the flow hive. Now as it appears I have to raise it to be the focal point of this hive. It is the one I put in my yard area so visitors can see. I wish I could transfer the bees from the med depth box to my deep cedar flow box. I was really doing well with my flow choice now it is going to be a mis match. Once they grow into my deep flow box would I then be able to remove the one med brood box to start a new hive? if it is on top will that be a mess?
If it matters that much to you, you have to buy the matching cedar medium from Bee Thinking! Just transfer them into that when it arrives.
Yes you can. Just make sure the queen is in the deep box, then put a queen excluder on top of the deep and below the medium. When all of the brood in the medium has hatched (about 3 weeks), you can take the pine medium off and just leave the bees with the deep. You may need to create an upper entrance to let out any drones - they won’t be able to cross the queen excluder, and will often die trying unless you make an upper entrance.
Thanks I have some options good idea I looked at that. I also figured at some point I would want another hive. OK I feel more comfortable with this change in plan. I await and cross my fingers for a 7 frame box if his does not fit I will need to purchase the med frame cedar to fit the flow. So far these little Buzzers are worth their weight in Gold Thank you again
Faroe, I purchased your basic one brood box flow hive. The bee keeper I thought was loading bees into my brood box because he took it. He just tells me that his hive is a med frame and I want to use my flow brood box. If I were to have two I would want a matching flow box but I just can not afford. Any suggestions and do you recommenced 2 brood boxes for a flow hive? I am in a bit of a pickle as I am new and I prefer to not have med frames in my deep box I want my flow hive. I am in Hawaii and nothing comes cheap or easy.
I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand what you mean by [quote=“NeuManaHui, post:19, topic:5270”]
The bee keeper I thought was loading bees into my brood box because he took it.
[/quote]
The Flow Hive is in a standard Langstroth 8 Deep size. If you bought the Flow Hive it should have come with 6 Flow Frames in the super and 8 standard frames in the brood box.
You would have to discuss with local beekeepers or your bee club to see if they recommend 2 brood boxes in your area.
Some areas do use 2 brood boxes so that the bees have enough stores of honey over winter. If you want to purchase an extra brood box to match your Flow hive you can purchase them through our accessories page here - http://www.honeyflow.com/shop/accessories/brood-box/p/193
Thank you I had to buy bees and they are in a med frame box. I purchased them actually from my college bee instructor so the 2 brood boxes I believe is acceptable practice. I am just unable to use the brood box which came with my flow hive as they are med frame and it is deep frame. I was asking as bee people are not familiar with flow hive but I see photos now here on this site with several brood boxes with a flow hive. So thanks for your response. I have learned that I will need to wait to allow the bees to grow into the flow hive brood box and them remove the med brood box the bees came in. Basically a step I am learning how to do. I had thought he was somehow loading the bees into my brood box, So new and so green.
I’m not sure if this will help, but another forum member converted national (UK) standard frames to the Langstroth frames - could be worth a look, and maybe inspire a bit of creative modification ideas for the medium frames you have - Managed to adapt UK national frame to langstroth in 1 minute