I want to use flow frames in my observation hive which is inside my house. I’m rebuilding the hive to make it larger and also be compatible with Flow frames - the hive is designed to be one langstroth deep frame thick, with plexiglass on either side. It will be 6 frames tall and 2 frames wide, and I plan to build the flow frames into the middle of one side of the hive.
My question is, are flow frames modular? Would it be possible to put one or two of them in instead of the 3-frame light version? Since the rest of my hive will be only one langstroth frame thick, it will mean the section of my hive to hold the frame will be very thick in comparison if I need to install all 3 frames, especially since I’ve read they’re thicker than normal langstroth frames. Also, what form factor are flow frames? Medium? Deep? Are there exact dimensions I can build the box which will receive the flow frames? I plan to install my bees into my hive without the flow frames for now with plexiglass sealing the entrances to the flow frame box - I’ll replace the plexiglass with queen excluder wire when I install the flow frames.
That’s great news, my best form factor would be 1 flow frame, which would make it only a little thicker than the rest of the hive and give me full visibility of the flow frame on both sides. Does anyone have exact measurements of a flow frame so I can plan the size I’ll build for the cartridge?
In the box modification instructions it says to cut a 153mm notch in the top of the box. And there is a small amount of overhang. So I’d imagine that is pretty close to the total width. So that’d be 51-53mm per frame. Here is the link to check it out for yourself.
Thanks, that’s exactly what I need. From there I just need to design in the right beespace on either side so they’re comfortable without building burr comb between the flow frame and the plexiglass and I should be golden. With any luck I’ll have honey on tap in my den next year.
