CALIFORNIA FLOW keepers

Hello everyone from Albion, California. I’m on the coast in Mendocino county, and happy to find a beekeeping club nearby. I am new to beekeeping but suspect there are different challenges on the coast than inland. For one, it is foggy and cool here all summer!

I’m putting in flowering plants and learning all I can about beekeeping as I wait for my Flow hive to arrive :smile:

Geri

Tom and Marty in Napa! Many generations of beekeepers in our family. Having been taking apart hives to steal honey for many years and seeing that every time I do it sets the bees back a month or so, I can’t understand why all beekeepers can’t see the obvious. THE FLOW HIVE IS THE SINGLE GREATEST INVENTION SINCE THE LANGSTROTH HIVE. Ok, caps off! lol. The has to be better for the bees and the beekeepers. Common sense has just gone out the window with the naysayers.

Can’t wait until next year when thousands of us can report back.

The Flow Hive is so non-invasive, I wonder if colony collapse will end.

Hi,

I am in San Francisco and will bee so happy to have a hive in my tiny city backyard. I have worked with my Father for 7 or so years with his bees up in Sacramento, but this will be my first solo endeavour!

My daughter found the FlowHive campaign and it took very little time to see that this was, for me, the way to go. We live in a tiny Edwardian with no garage, Dealing with extracting was just not something I was willing to take on. And schlepping to Sacramento with my supers to use my Father’s set up? Yeah, I don’t THINK so ; -P

I am hoping that Californian Bee Keepers will, in the tradition of our great state, step up to adopt new and innovative technology and lead the way for all those ‘Hive Bound’ bee keepers who are sure we are all crazy! I figure that here, in the FlowHive Forums, I am in good company!

Glad to be here!

Sara

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Just wondering how informative was the Santa Barbara beekeeping class? I already started beekeeping now and have a Brood Box with bees that I had purchased. I am still taking classes with The LA County Beekeepers and so far so good.

Just thought I would let the California keepers know that my Flow Frames arrived last Monday 6_29. I need to modify one of my deep boxes to accept the 3 frames I ordered. Anxious to get that done in the next few days as I have a nice split that is ready to populate the new hive.

Louise
Lompoc

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Just a heads up for California Beeks;
http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/california-swarms-and-the-drought/2499

How id the drought affecting your hives?

We are New-Bees in Carlsbad - got a nuc in anticipation of our Flow Hive (which I pledged in the first hour of campaign but have not rec’d yet)
We have established on our roof, and all seems well - we are avid gardeners, so have made a great effort to provide as much as possible for our girls… nectar, pollen and water… have even planned for getting another nuc in about a week and a half. Going to keep reading about combining what we have with the flow frames. WISH I knew when our Flow Hive was coming!!! Have that wonderful Coastal Beekeeping book and since summer seems to be avoiding us on the coast this year (it’s like Blade Runner weather, really…) quite possibly fall and winter will be even better. Anyone in San Diego area should know about Pearson’s Gardens in Vista for a great selection of pollinator-friendly climate-appropriate plants. Also, the fantastic book, California Bees and Blooms, I recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1597142948?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00
Bee in touch!!
UPDATE 8/6/2015: Of course, the weather has changed utterly. HOT, humid… and a lot of windy and mixed clouds - what I read as bad weather for hive inspecting… we are very excited to get the earlier delivery of the Flow, but haven’t gotten the shipping notice yet. Stoked about the cedar, too. I assume it helps that they are mfg in Oregon - lots of cedar there.
Our newer nuc seems to be establishing itself well, and we have added a short super to the first hive. Our bees are so sweet that we are pretty casual about protective gear - usually only veils. I have been anointing my arms and hands with an oil mixture with peppermint and lavender and have not been stung (yet :wink: I can’t stand gloves…Also, did I mention the heat?

So I just unboxed by full flow 7 frames last week. I am a complete newb and wondered if anyone had a suggestion for a source in NorCal for everything I need to create or where to buy a 8-Frame Full Depth Langstroth hive in which to install these flow frames? Also any suggestions about where to start with a NorCal Central Valley Beek group would be fantastic. I have no idea where to go after this: http://youtu.be/RGsfnMgpKaU haha Thanks in advance :slight_smile:

If you are near Sacramento there is a very helpful bee store there, and a big bee club as well.

http://www.sacramentobeekeeping.com/

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Hi Ecosanda,

I’m putting together a large event with Dave Goulson in San Francisco in October, and we’d like to have an exhibition of different kinds of beehives as a result. I’m looking to rent or borrow a flow hive to display as part of this. Might you be willing to lend or rent us yours, if it’s not in use?

Thanks!
Jourdan Abel
Managing Producer, Arts & Ideas
www.jccsf.org/arts

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to rent or borrow a flow hive for an exhibition of different beehives as part of a celebration of bees and honey taking place in San Francisco in October 2015. Do you have one that you might rent or lend us? This would be in conjunction with a talk by British bee expert Dave Goulson, and we anticipate several hundred people in attendance.

Please let me know!

Best,
Jourdan Abel
Managing Producer, Arts & Ideas, JCCSF
www.jccsf.org/arts

I neither know when my flowhive will arrive nor what might be its status by October. You can communicate with me directly via PM.

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Hi George! How did you find the community for training classes? I’m in San Diego, my hive will be here in December, and I know NOTHING about his to prepare for this venture.

I just Googled “Beekeeping (city name)” and “Beekeeping Classes (city name)” or "Beekeeping training (cityname)"
Also buy the “Beekeeping for Dummies” book. That"s what I did but the Beekeeping 101 classes at the Los Angeles County Beekeeping Association was great and some things are better learned hands-on.
Way to far for you to go, but look around and google all cities near you. You may be out of luck for this season. You must also learn about controlling mites or your colony will die. Learn hands-on before buying your bees.

Classes/lectures: Hilary - Girl Next Door Honey: http://girlnextdoorhoney.com/
GREAT supply store and GUIDANCE!! - Bee Happy: www.beehappysandiego.com/
Good luck!

Great all round resource, and events for Northern California. UC Davis has an impressive program.

http://honey.ucdavis.edu/events

Hey all,

I’m brand new to beekeeping and am finding it hard to connect with an association in Kern County where I live, so that I can get some hands-on experience from more experienced beekeepers. Anyone out there in my neck of the woods looking to network?

  • Elle

Hello All! I am in Agua Dulce which is between Santa Clarita and Palmdale. I’m looking forward to joining the LA BeeKeeping group and classes. Glad I won’t be the only flow hive owner there! Is anyone in the hot desert concerned about heat? I’m wondering if I need afternoon shade for my hive. I plan to put it in my orchard but my trees are all small still. I could put a shade cloth on the west side if needed.

I am not in the desert but in Fillmore California which has 100 degree temps and I would suggest the you put your hive in some sort of shade because once you set up your hive you can’t move it. (meaning you will have to move it 2 miles away for a month and then move it to a shady area if you didn’t do it in the first place)

I had high heat and half my hive swarmed. I ended up putting a 12v computer fan hooked up to a solar panel to help pull hot air out the hive. I also but up a beach umbrella.

Also I would be worried about ants.

Mark From Newbury Park, just finished the hive. Will update when installed in garden.

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