Bees between the bottom screen and the pull out board

Ah but you don’t have my incurable problem… :blush:

I have this absolute need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions the first few times I do something. The manufacturer of my device tells me to occlude the hive entrance and seal up the hive as much as possible. So I feel I have to do this if I am going to use this treatment, and an open SBB would be introducing an unknown variable… :wink:

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you’ll get over it LOL

Hi Dawn, are you okay to move the wire yourself?

If you can’t just send a photo to info@honeyflow.com with your order number/email address and we can send a replacement out.

Sorry about that… let us know how you go.

Hi Faroe, when I looked at it yesterday, it moved pretty easily with a fingernail. However, my nails are very brittle, so I will get out my jeweler’s pliers later today and see what I can do. If it doesn’t work, I will do as you suggest - thanks for the support. :heart_eyes:

I actually think it is happening to a lot of people, and that is why there have been 3 or 4 posts where people describe seeing bees going through the SBB. Part of the hive setup should be to check the wire spacing and correct it before installing bees - a lot easier to do that on an empty hive! :blush:

Dawn

yes it’s a good suggestion. Although we have just re-done the manual, so this would have to be in a new edit, or maybe we can add it to the faq’s.

Not sure how this mesh is moving? Maybe just during transit…

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EUREKA!!! Woohoo, I am SO excited, I know what the problem is… :smile:
@Faroe @Cedar @beethinking

The Flow SBB has been made with #6 Hardware cloth, not the usual #8!!! Plus, I have photographic proof! :blush:

The size normally used for SBBs is #8 as no bees can get through it. Small bees can get through #6. In fact #6 is used in some pollen traps. I have a Bee Thinking non-Flow SBB and the mesh is DEFINITELY smaller than on the Flow SBB, as you can see in the photos. Personally, I will not use the Flow SBB now - I don’t want a bee leak. Shame, because it is a great design, except for the mesh size! :wink:

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It’s true that wider mesh is used on Flow bottoms. This was a request from Flow to ensure the largest small hive beetles can fall through into beetle traps. However, I think do to slight variation in some of the mesh, some of the holes get slightly too large and bees can make it through also. We have recently sourced a significant volume of different screen that should have little to no variation and will hopefully eliminate this issue. The other option, of course, would be to go back to standard #8 hardware cloth the rest of the industry uses (including us for our own bottoms!)

I’m with Cedar this week and we’ll be addressing this.

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I understand what you are saying Matt, but just to add some info, here is a photo of the whole SBB before I moved the wires to even out the mesh. The widest points were over 6mm, some close to 7mm. I think that may become an issue to Flow customers.

Now I have fixed the spacing, the mesh looks OK, but I actually fixed it before I realized it was #6 mesh. I can see Flow’s reasoning, but I really think it is worth reconsidering, I am delighted that you are going to discuss it with Cedar.

By comparison, there is no distortion in my Bee Thinking SBBs’ mesh - I am very happy with them.

I sure hope that my Flow Hive Mk11 which is due for shipping in April comes with the #8 hardware cloth.

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I’ve regularly got bees on the bottom board and have a carpet piece on top of the cor-flute to assist with trapping the beetles. When I inspect the if there are beetles the bees are attacking them. So these bees tend to be a little on edge. So what is the problem with bees on the bottom board?

I took a look at mine and it wasn’t as bad as your, but I did have to make some adjustments, if it becomes an issue, I’ll simply replace the screen with some #8 hardware cloth, got a roll coming for my other projects.

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Hi All. Thanks for the feedback on this, and apologies to those that received a screened bottom board with larger gaps in the screen due to anomalies in the mesh. Thanks to those who have noticed this and fixed it. If you have this issue and need any assistance fixing this or, if it is not easily modified and you do find you need a replacement, please write to faults@honeyflow.com and we will be happy to assist.

For those that have screens with anomalies, the inconsistencies can easily be modified using a kitchen fork as shown in the picture. It’s a lot less effort to fix it before installing than to have to remove the bottom board after the bees are in the hive. I will make a video explaining how to fix it with a fork as soon as possible and encourage everyone to check their screened bottom board before installing.

Some background. I found the larger of the small hive beetles didn’t fit through the standard (2mm between wires) mesh commonly used. So we sourced a mesh with 3.5mm between wires. This means the larger small hive beetles can fit through and be trapped using various methods on the core flute slider. But unfortunately some of the mesh we have used has wavy lines in it which means the gaps between the wires on the mesh are much larger than 3.5mm which allows bees to get through. The mesh can also be damaged in transport creating anomalies that bees can get through.

We have now gone through all the screens and ditched the ones with anomalies. We have also changed to a 3mm stainless mesh going forward so we wont see this issue continuing. I have tested the larger small hive beetles with this size and they can still get through the 3mm mesh on a diagonal but the bees cannot get through.

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Getting a fit of the the giggles here Ceder, imagining the queries that are going to follow this, asking what the specs for the fork should be to optimize the spacing correction of the mesh…

Ain’t nuttin ever easy is it?

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I can see what you mean. The fork spacing doesn’t actually matter here as it isn’t pushed down into the mesh. It’s simply used to move the wire over. In the picture you can see the fork doesn’t line up with the mesh spacings.

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Hi Cedar
I am awaiting my WRC flow hive which is due for shipping around April. Will I be getting the new 3mm stainless mesh or the older mesh that I would still need to check on.

Keep up the good work
Max

Thank you for caring and responding, @Cedar and @Matt. With your 2 companies’ attention to customer feedback, you deserve every success in the future. I certainly don’t have any reservations in recommending Flow to my beekeeping friends - yes, there are some rough edges, but this is one of the nicest companies I have ever dealt with (including Bee Thinking in that statement). I just wish that everyone managed things with the attention from the top that you guys consistently provide.

Dawn

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Easy does it Dawn, he’s married :laughing:

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Me too, very happily, 22 years this year - best thing I ever did. :blush:

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16 this year for me and we still do everything together :heart_eyes:

28 year this years :heart_eyes:

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