I have just completed adapting a 7 frame Flow Super (ie. 10 frame Langstroth) to a Technoset Bee Langstroth hive. As the Technoset hive is already 10 frame Langstroth the sizing is correct but the placement of latches to fit the ‘system’ was the challenge. Sorry the shots are a bit dark, it was overcast here today.
The Flow super on the Technoset Bee brood box with Technoset lid
With adapted latches instead of the standard Flow timber latch. The top latch has been placed lower so that the ‘handle’ of the latch keeps the lower removable section of the flow super in place
With the Flow super handles attached.
I originally expected the major challenge was going to be configuring the latches on the back of the Flow super to not interfere with the access panels, but it appears the handle placement on the front was the real problem. As you can see, the latch placement really needs to be exactly where the handle is.
Luckily Technoset make a latch ‘extender’ which is used when you insert a pollen trap. I have used one of the pollen trap latch extenders to bridge the gap across the Flow super handle.
The hive with a top feeder
Final photo showing the top feeder in under the lid latched down
Next step is to paint the super white… so it doesn’t look quite so out of place
They are used instead of an emlock/strap to hold everything together and make aligning and manoeuvring the boxes a simple process. Also makes it easy to lift off two boxes together.
OK. I almost never want to lift two boxes at once, and if I do I lift by the handles of the bottom one… mostly things get moved one box at a time because that’s all I can lift.
That may be the case with full supers, but for empty boxes, freshly extracted frames and even full ideal supers it comes in handy. I can move a full hive in a single piece (base, brood, lid) and can also transport it assembled (common for new hives and nucs) without any chance of it coming apart.
It’s food grade, virgin (ie. not recycled) plastic. I doubt I’ll ever go back to wooden hives.
-edit-
I would have used a technoset plastic box for the flow frames but the boxes are twin walled with a cavity (like double glazing), so it’s not straightforward.
I won’t be picking up any instagram followers with my paint job, but I am happy to report that the super is now fully painted and ready for the next stage (the entrance may give some hints).
I think the handles look a little too colonial for the rest of the hive and may need to go… but I am very happy with the fitment to the the technoset after reassembly after painting!
To anyone thinking of painting the super… I would probably advise against it! If you do go ahead with it, I strongly suggest you sand down some of the finger joints at the back of the box prior to painting.
Some of the laser cut joins have very tight tolerances that don’t cope well with the several layers of paint required to reach a uniform finish.
Interestingly the window cut out is no problem at all, but the back panel is problematic (even when following the spacing suggestion from the manual).
Painting the box quickly reminded me why I haven’t gone back to timber after switching to plastic
