Beehive mods to suit flow hive

Modifications & Building Bee Hives
1

Hey fellow beekeepers

So after less than a year from start-up, have received and installed, my 3 units.
At first glance must say the quality is excellent. After installing and handling them for a bit, stick to my first impression. Complements to the quality and instructions.
Being an ex machinist toolmaker, know all too well what must’ve been involved at getting an idea like this to market as quick as you did. Again good work.
Because my hive boxes may have been a bit different had to make a few modifications to fit mine. I did use the initial cutting instructions from the online PDF which saved a lot of time.
One small irk is the flow pipes are a very tight a fit into the flow holes. I may look for a flexible clear hose to replace them.
Having had my brood boxes full of bees for a few months, now do think the southern hemisphere folk would benefit most from having them first. What’s the point of getting them in the middle of winter.
So again to the folk at Flowhive, Good Work.

Thanks
Fred




2 Likes
2

Very nice photos and workmanship, thank you for taking the time to share these. I love your latches on the side of the boxes too - I am working on a similar concept to reduce the need for straps.

Dawn

3

Fred, I see you used a 10 frame langstroths. That is kind of what I had in mind … I already have too much direction into 10 frame brood boxes n supers … Looking over your set up n pix’s. Great job.

I am re entering beekeeping again after 55 years away. It’s exciting to re Up this Spring east of Seattle in the States. I have 3 Nuc’s orders n should get here mid April. Wouldn’t need the Flow-frames until mid summer 2017 if I GO that way.

I’ll be watching to learn more,
Gerald

4

hey Dawn

Even though I fitted the clips will be using straps.
The clips look good but don’t think them to be strong enough and if you put too much tension on them, they’ll tear the timber.

5

You are to be congratulated! Very nicely done modifications. Looks great. These photos will be a boon for others wanting to do the same but want to ‘see how it’s done’ before giving it a crack themselves. Great photos.

I’d suggest holding off from direct replacement of the rigid drainage pipes - as the tight interference fit they provide at the base of the flow frames will prove useful in keeping the immediate area clean and tidy during harvest.

Like you, I agree that the addition of a more flexible delivery tube would be helpful - but I intend to use such by sliding the flexible tubing OVER the supplied ones. I suspect that the supplied rigid tubes will be far easier to slot into each Flow Frame base when insitu than a softer tube will be = less frustration.

For the very keen - custom curved rigid tubes could be sourced from elsewhere.

I also have utilised latches, purely for aesthetic reasons, on my cedar boxes. The tension does need to carefully set - true - to avoid structural damage, but a ‘firmish’ set down of the latches when coupled with the inherent weight of the boxes (and their contents) will certainly do the trick.

All that being said, again, congratulations on your very tidy hive modifications. Impressive.