Crystallization on flow channel

[Sammy]

Hi all.
I have recently noticed a layer of crystallization on the bottom of my flow channels. I’m not sure if it’s just near the plug or goes all the way up the channel. Is this a problem, and if so how should I deal with this. For the record, I have not harvested yet, but the middle frames are 80-90% full…
Sammy😀

[skeggley]

Hiya Sammy, I have noticed some wax flakes in the channel but nothing excessive. I have harvested and it wasn’t a problem.
Here are a couple of links regarding the cleaning.

Cleaning the Flow channel

I got a great tip from Stuart Anderson last night. The channel sometimes gets a bit of debris or old honey remaining, to clean the Flow frame channel, wrap a clean cloth around the Flow lever/key and push this up inside the channel after removing the end cap. A couple of goes sliding it up and down and your channel should be clean for the next harvest.

Drainage channel

I have been getting a lot of stick from beekeepers here in the UK about the drainage channel in the Flow system. They are saying it is a source of possible infection as the bees can’t get in it to clean it. That there is bound to be traces of honey left in there…exposed to the air…becoming hydrated…so pathogens could grow in it. So that when you next drain honey through it…the honey could become infected too. Can you give your stance on this and what you think about whether the channel needs cl…

[SnowflakeHoney]

@sammy, I’m in the same boat as @skeggley. I’ve always got a small amount of crystallisation in the collection channel but nothing that I’ve ever notice impede collection.

[Semaphore]

I am about to harvest my long hive today- in preparation for that two days ago I filled a bucket with hot water and got out my long bottle brush. I dip the brush in the hot water, poke it into the channel all the way- twist it around pull it out- rinse it in the bucket and then repeat four or five times. This removes any debris or honey in the channel. Then I put some tissue paper in the end of the channel and leave the plug out so the channel can dry out for a few days. Now the channels are clean and dry and I am ready to harvest. Simple.

[JeffH]

Jack - simple? there must be an easier way to harvest honey from a bee hive.

[Semaphore]

if there is I have never heard of it… I tried crushing, pressing, spinning, gravity dripping- and Flow frames won… Even easier than cut comb…

that preparation took me all of 5 minutes jeff. hardly a laborious undertaking. Arguably I needn’t have bothered… Now I am harvesting as I type…

[JeffH]

Well done Jack, Which ever way you decide to stick with long term, you’ll get quicker at it.
You are probably right about not needing to bother. You can let your nose decide whether the channel needs cleaning before harvest.

I’m bearing in mind that you probably physically checked each frame before deciding to harvest. That would disturb the bees, so the least amount of time spent after that, the better. Especially if the bees have some attitude.

Me, I’d have to mark each frame I was going to harvest two days later, because I’d forget.

[Sammy]

Thanks guys. I checked and actually the crystallization was only at the plug of the channel. But, I have only even harvested one frame, and it had black bits in it. Cleaning out the flow channels in the manner you’ve described sounds like the best way to get the cleanest, puresest honey. Btw, I planted two new Red Box trees today. The “bee’s knees” for honey in South East Australia (pardon the pun)!
Thanks for all the advice. Happy hiving!

Sammy

[SnowflakeHoney]

Beez Neez… Actually a good beer too. Not quite the duck’s nuts but good enough.

[Semaphore]

another ting I do is place a very fine strainer between the bucket and the tube when I extract to catch any particles that may come out. At the end there is hardly anything in there- but it keeps out the odd cat hair, ant, bit of wax or whatever.