My of Flow frames are full and capped, BUT no Honey will flow - even on the hottest of days after turning the key.
Is there a particular flowhive cleaning regimen?
We have taken apart each slice for each frame of all 6 frames
All ideas welcomed!
A couple of questions for you:
- Are you sure that you are putting the Flow key in the correct slot? I have accidentally put it in the closing slot before now, and then wondered why the honey wasn’t flowing…
- Your profile doesn’t say where in the world you are, but could you be in a region that has thixotropic honey, like jellybush, manuka or heather honey?
- How long has the super been on the hive? Could the honey have crystallized?
- When you turn the flow key, can you see the frame segments shifting?
I don’t understand what you are saying here. Do you mean that you have dismantled the Flow frames? If not, you could try borrowing an extractor (spinner), carefully uncap the honey and gently spin the frames.
If you have dismantled them, and just want to clean them up now, hot water at no more than 70°C should do the job in most cases.
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I think cherry gardens is near Adelaide.
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Thanks Dawn SD - appreciate your thoughtful response.
The key was in correctly, the honey is not thixotropic, or crystallised and the frame segments definitely shift. I concluded there was blockage somewhere. So we dismantled and cleaned in hot water each frame segment - that was a long, tiring job. The 6 Frames are now back in their hive. Now for the 2nd group of 6 frames that have the same problem!
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Yes Cherry Gardens is near Adelaide.
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Hi Trevor, I must say I’m stumped as to why you see capped honey but nothing coming out of your Flow frames! I’m tagging @Freebee2 and @Bianca so you can get to the bottom of it.
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Not as stumped as us!
BUT Thank you so much for your kind response and tagging/sharing.
This problem has been happening for 2 seasons while I tried various solutions - heat, swapping frame positions etc.
Just amazed if others have not haf this problem also.
I wonder if I should always remove & store the Supers in winter.
It’s fairly cool here, Adelaide Hills winters. I currently have left them on for the 4 years I’ve had these 2 Flow hives
Waiting in anticipation for any clues on a solution, other than a thorough in-depth frame-segments clean.
Best regards
Trevor
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I’m also stumped. Were you able to retrieve any honey while disassembling & cleaning the parts? @Semaphore would be a good bloke to talk to, being a neighbor of yours. I’m fairly sure (not a 100%) he removes his flow supers during winter.
Hi @Trevor1
This is peculiar and something we’d like to troubleshoot with you until we figure out what’s going on and help rectify it for you.
Would you mind if we troubleshoot this with you via email at info@honeyflow.com where you can exchange videos/photos of the frames with the support team? We will need more information in order to be able to understand what may be happening.
If your colony will be unable to avoid excessive moisture in the Flow Super over winter, then yes, I recommend removing the Flow Frames to avoid having to clean any potential mould build up etc. This is particularly true for hive locations that receive a lot of moisture.
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for me personally I would say it is true of ANY location where the bees do not fill the frames during winter. There is no point having them on- except as feed for the bees. If the frames are empty at all the bees tend to put propolis into them- as well as the mold and damp issues. However as many flow users only use a standard flow configuration (one brood/one super)- removing the frames for winter could remove the bees own feed honey. So if you plan to remove the flow super then you should either add a second standard full depth or ideal box- and it should be added early so that it is full of honey stores for the bees.
My friend in Sydney always leaves 4 full depth frames of honey for her bees. In Sydney that is sufficient to get through winters and dearths, Colder locations like the Adelaide hills will likely require more honey than that. I have some hives in the Adelaide hills and they need to be fed sometimes- whereas my bees on the plains never really need feeding.
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Thank you for this. That experience is insightful.
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Thankyou For Sharing this Its a Great Experience