I’ve purchased the 4 Flow Frame kit, and I’m installing it into a standard, 10-Frame Langstroth Super. I’ve searched everywhere for the answer to two questions:
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If centering 4 Flow Frames between 2 standard frames on each side, appears that there is too much room on the outside edges: 7/8". Is this too much room for bees, such that they will create too much comb on the standard frames? Instructions clearly show measurements for centered frames, but do not describe 4 standard frames.
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Or should I uncenter the Flow Frames between 3 and 2 standard frames? They fit tightly, and there isn’t room at the top of the bars on the outside edges for bees to climb.
Examples:
4 Flow Frames + 4 Standard Frames vs. 4 Flow Frames + 5 Standard Frames
Thanks.
Barry, to keep the space near normal you could hang a wall spacer to keep that extra room to a bee space. You leave wider than normal your girls will quickly get creative n build weird extra side combs. Easy to add a plywood or solid wood spacer. Good luck n enjoy your experience n time.
Ta ta,
Gerald
Very good idea, Gerald. Thanks kindly.
Barry
Jerry’s idea of a spacer (aka Dummy Board or Follower Board) is one possibility. The other thing you can do is keep all of the frames close together in the middle, as they are in your left hand picture above. If you do that, the bees will just draw out extra deep cells on the side of the frame which is next to the wall. True, they may have some false starts, and some burr/bridge comb, but they will make the bee space what they want it to be, and draw straight comb, given time. If you are spinning those frames, I would put the deep side out for the first spin, and start slowly. Otherwise, there shouldn’t be any major issues. I am assuming that you are going to wire them, by the way, if you spin. Otherwise I would crush and strain if you don’t want to wire - spinning an asymmetric deep frame can be VERY tricky (and messy!) 
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Dawn is on the money there Barry, put your flow frames in the middle and then space the wooden honey frames evenly on either side. The bees will draw our deep cells in those frames, I do this in all my hives (9 frames to a 10 frame box) and end up with big heavy frames of honey that are easy to extract.
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Dawn, Rodderick, terrific suggestions. I appreciate your experience and generosity in sharing.
Ultimately, I hadn’t seen your replies in time, or I surely would’ve taken your easier route! Meanwhile, I dropped in a spacer on one side, and built out my window on the other, so it reduced a bit of the room. My intent was to leave the honey in those four combs for the bees, and simply rob from the Flow Frames. Got them done and installed today. Very enthused and hopeful to see some honey this year after a very dry 2015.
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