I am the new owner of a Flow hive 2+ 6 frame. I’ve been reading a lot in the forum and I have a couple newbie questions so here goes:
Upon reading my assembly instructions it says I need four additional Langstroth frames to fill my super. It does not tell me a size, i.e. deep frame, medium, etc. I realize I could measure the two I have to build but the build starts shortly (very scared).
I want to keep my hive natural color and I cannot find a non-toxic finish. I purchased a clear oil based spar urethane for outside only. With a couple days to air out is this acceptable?
Queen reducer not included. Any suggestions on a specific kind or brand?
Feeding system for bees. I’ve seen many mentioned throughout forum. Would like to know easiest method for a newbie starting her first hive?
Thank you so much whomever reads/answers these annoying questions.
Thank you so much. Yes queen excluder is what I meant and in my instructions it specifically states I need to fill my box with an additional 4 standard frames and they recommend the use of a queen excluder. It’s an additional requirements page. I was kind of surprised myself that I had to purchase anything additional seeing I just paid a good amount for the kit to begin with.
That sounds like a hybrid Flow super. Is that what you have? If you have 6 plastic frames, you don’t need any more. If you need more, they will be Langstroth deep frames - that is all that Flow deals with in the US.
In Michigan, you will definitely need 2 brood boxes. Have you bought a second one? You will need to fill it before you put the super on the hive.
What kind of wood? Pine or cedar? A couple of days is too short for oil-based finishes. You need a month or so.
Lots of info. Thank you so much. I have 6 plastic frames. I do not have a second brood box, but I will definately get one. I have cedar as far as wood goes. I’m gonna take the urethane back and grab the oil suggested earlier. I do not believe I have a hybrid. It’s the newest model 2+.
I will order the queen excluder you suggested. I was actually looking at that one earlier. I greatly appreciate your suggestions. Helps a lot!!
Welcome Jeanette! Don’t be scared, you found the place for help & friendly advice
I do think it’s odd that you didn’t receive a QX (abbreviation for queen excluder) in your kit. If it is a genuine Flow kit, there should be one. Dean has tagged the Flow team so they can sort it out for ya.
Thank you very much. I’m happy I found the group as well. I’ve been reading Bees for Dummies for years and finally decided to pull the trigger (still panicking). I’m finding so much valuable information.
Hi Jeanette, you may have found a black plastic piece the same size as the top of the boxes, that has slots in it. That will be the QX, just in case it’s there & you didn’t know what it was.
I’m surprised that the instructions states to buy additional frames and a QX. That makes me wonder if it’s a fake flow hive.
Hi Eva, I was searching the website while your reply came in. I clicked on “what’s included” in regards to the hybrid flow hive. It doesn’t show the 4 additional wooden frames, however it includes the QX. The confusing part is: They say that it doesn’t include bees. I interpret that to mean that the bees are the only thing you have to add after assembling the hive.
I thought I’d mention that because a lot of new local flow owners buy nucs from me. It’s common, in my experience for new beekeepers to not know what the QX is.
In regards to the 4 wood frames to place in the hybrid super, a good option would be to purchase a 4 frame nuc. That way you get 4 frames supplied to put into the brood box, then you’ll only need 4 of the 8 frames to place in the brood box, leaving you with the 4 frames you’ll need for the hybrid honey super.
It sounds like you’ve received some good advice from members of the forum.
Please also feel welcome to email info@honeyflow.com for any product assistance you need (emailing there is best as we can then check which kind of hive you have etc. to give you the most relevant assistance).
I think there might be some confusion here too. Just to confirm for @Jphillips and the forum members:
For all complete Flow Hives, the customer should receive everything they need in the hive except bees, and foundation/wires for the brood frames if the beekeeper chooses to adopt this method (we offer comb guides). If you believe your order is missing something, please contact our team at info@honeyflow.com so we can immedicately correct it for you.
Only the Hybrid Flow Supers (not available as a FH2 model) have brood frames in the super and these are always included.
A common feature of counterfeit Flow Hive instruction manuals is incorrect information, foreign language, etc. If you believe you have purchased a fake hive Jeanette please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team via email to confirm and discuss with us.
