Just harvested my flow super (off hive). I had left it a little too long and had lots of burr comb. Should I shave burr comb off before returning super to hive. Or let the girls sort it out. Many thanks in advance
I would clean it, yes. Just be careful not to scratch the window.
Why did you harvest off the hive? (sorry I am nosy and canāt help it. I was born that way).
Harvested off the hive as I had the flow super on a swarm hive that was in bad position to harvest. Not having the right back slope.
Not overly worried about the observation window As I lift frames out and check for 100% capping before harvest. Was more concerned with burr comb between frames
Me, every time I open the hive for inspection, I scrape off the burr comb. Thereās always some good use for it down the track anyway.
Nice looking harvest
Did you mean that you had to do a split or something anyway? If it was only the angle issue, Iāve dealt with this by lifting & shimming the front end up a bit before harvesting, just a tip in caseā¦
I clean up any burr comb when I do inspections. It only takes a few minutes but the frames are much easier to fit back into the box. Cheers
The flow super was on a swarm hive that had to be relocated. And was also in a tight position with limited access to be able to harvest.
Nice one 3jk, sweet looking honey, red gum?
Interesting also seeing how much honey leaked out of the frames beneath super, definitely not a flood.
How did you move the bees out of the super?
Well spotted @skeggley. I had that happen to me a few times, but when the super is on the brood box you wonāt notice it happening before it is too late. I suspect I killed a few bees with the leak.
I now read that it is better to open the frames 10cm at a time. I cannot understand through, from where the honey leaks. Is it the bottom of the frames?
It would be a good idea if the Flow keys come with pre-marked indents so people remember to open a little at a time.
Yeah skeggley itās Marri honey. The girls are going mad over the Marri flow at the moment I did open the frames at about 20cm intervals. Probably leaked about 50grams all up
Also I used a clearing board to remove the bees . Itās the type with a large plastic disc in the centre with 8 exits
I have marked my key into 5 equal lengths and wait till the flow out of the tube almost stops before opening the next section. With my first extraction it was a screaming disaster with massive flooding and bee deaths because I opened the whole of the frame at once, It was totally my fault not knowing to open the frames in sections, doing it in sections fixed the problem.
Cheers
I donāt think it was your fault at all Peter. I do not recall seeing any instructions on inserting the key in 5 steps and all the videos I saw at the time were all showing the key fully inserted. It took me a while to realise they were leaking and I thought the frames broke.
Not sure whether Flow hives come with instructions as such these days, but I had to email Flow to find out what was wrong and how to work around the problem.
That is why I think indents permanently marked on the key will help eliminate the issue.
Back then the advise was a bit scarce and ātop heavyā about the hype of the benefits of a Flow Hive. Back then for me I didnāt know this forum existed and learning a Flow Super was a little bit of logic and a lot of trial and some errors.
Iām not knocking your idea of indents but my paint marks suit my climate and would be wrong for a colder climate.
I think Flow have done a good job with their revised videos these days and the forum is simply brilliant for advise and exchange of ideas.
I have four Flow Hives now as I wanted to try out this new invention and Iām very hands on with my learning. Always experimenting and none of my Flow Hives or my Langstrothās are as I bought them. Waiting for four poly Paradise hives to arrive in a day or two to learn about them too.
Cheers
Whatās special about these Pete? I never heard of them.
They are ultra high density polystyrene with an R7+ insulation rating ( that is about equal to a 12cm thick hoop pine hive) which I hope will be a big plus in my climate in freeing up more bees for foraging from working on cooling the hive. They claim a 30% increase in honey yield, yeah right, it canāt be proven one way or the other.
They are a lot lighter than a wooden hive and this old bugger is finding lifting even an 8 frame super a bit much if it is full of honey.
I was asked about 2 months ago by a guy visiting my apiary for a day for my opinion about them and I was totally blank so after a bit of research I have decided to get some hands on knowledge about them. Have a Google for āParadise bee hives in Australiaā when you have some spare time.
Cheers
Have you received your Paradise hives Peter?
Iām curious to see how they perform.
Iām currently fixing up and painting some Flow boxes and this morning, while the paint was drying in the sun, I just felt with my hand the inside (shaded part) and it got surprisingly quite warm. Iām painting them white, and this was early morningā¦ with no lid onā¦ so that just heat transferred through the wood.
On a 40 deg day, enclosed with lid in full sun, it will get pretty darn hot in there.
I have the hives and painted them, white of course, and as I have made modifications to both my Flow Hives and Langstrothās I have an idea Iām thinking about for the Paradise hives.
They are well made and had 12 boxes assembled in a bit over an hour. Three boxes per hive and nine traditional full depth frames per box.
They will go into use at my apiary about next Wednesday giving the paint a chance to fume out.
Cheers