Hi all,
Yes it is awesome… so impressed with the detail the was put into all the components. Thanks to the FF team.
Hi all, I have management problem… there seems to be a few bees that get into the area under the metal floor?? And I am finding I need to let them out every day or they die!!
Could it be that I have smaller bees, if so what should I do to fix the problem??
I am amazed at how much pollen they drop… could they be going down there to retrieve that?
If any one can help, that would be great.
I havn’t yet used a Flow Hive two so am not familiar with the set up of the tray. But in original flow hives me bees would sometimes go under the mesh floor between the coreflute slider and hang out down there. They would busy themselves with various tasks. In my hives they come and go and are not trapped there- they can get out at the rear of the hive. It isn’t a problem. In my case they are not getting through the mesh but entering at the gap at the rear.
On your hive is it clear there is no way they can get into that space except through the mesh floor? Or is there a gap at the back? one solution may be to take out the tray so there is just a mesh floor- it depends on where you are and your climate I guess whether you decide to do this- a lot of people have mesh bottom hives with no tray, and they work well.
Its taken a while to get the photos working. I can’t see a gap at the back, will have an other look later… i think a mirror is needed!!
It got down to 8 deg last night although is sunny today in the low 20deg… a bit cold to take of the floor tray.
I am not sure exactly how the tray fits- and what the gap at the rear looks like- but it may be possible that if you put the try out one inch it will create an opening at the front and the rear where the bees can enter and exit the base area if they like. Bees above can actually feed the ones below through the mesh floor if they are hungry. I wouldn’t worry too much about bees in that tray. also if you see dead ones there they may not have been trapped and died but died of natural causes above and then been pushed through the floor by zealous worker bees!
Jack, I had a look just now… and just as many bees there as this morning, all a bit slow of the mark… they are probably a bit chilly! There is no Lea way between the white floor tray and the front and back walls… it’s as much to stop things getting in, like robber bees, wasps extra.
You are right I am worrying too much, silly really…we just got 6ml of rain very welcome as we are down by a long way for the year.
Hope it is a good season for you… I have heard it said,that it is always a good Honey harvest before a drought??? Some thing to do with all the gums flowering as they think they might not servie the next few years of low rainfall??
Cheers
Chislen, I have looked up under the brood box, and could not find any way they are getting in!
I think the next step is to study an unpopular hive?? Somewhere or wait for a really worm day and take the hole hive apart.
Thank you for your help.
Cheers
Been doing some further thinking and I can’t figure out how you could assemble the hive so wrong as to make a bee gap. If it is assembled correctly there is not a gap anywhere. Option 3 is that you have a queen laying what will become a smaller bee than is normal.
I would like to read the out come.
Regards
Looking at my flow 2, there is no way a bee can get into the tray. @Suses70 could it be any part is assembled incorrectly?
Go back and look at the instruction manual again.
I put the wrong end of the tray in at first, and wondered why it was so awkward to get out. Might just be something simple like that.
Peter…I think I have assembled the hive correctly… I too have trying to work out out if I put something in back to front, I really didn’t think I have. When l look up at the bar the floor sits on, all looks flat and I remember when I put floor in ,it fitted so snuggly.
Option 3 is probably the answer… my girls came from a Long Langstroth and probably made 70% of there own comb so there all could be a bit smaller!!!
Thanks for your thoughts. Enjoy the day.
Jeff, thanks for your thoughts. I think I would rather have soild floor too!!! I think I will have to wait till the right weather and take the top boxs off and go from there… I wondered if the wood has shrunk so leaving a gap for bees somewhere??? But I can’t see it.
It’s not the end of the world.
I have a friend coming today who has a Flow hive, so hopfully will have some understanding of the situation soon.
Enjoy your day. Cheers
Martha, no I was talking about a gap that could have formed between the floor and the walls. It is not just me that can’t find where they are getting in, a friend had a good look yesterday. But we have brushed out all the bees and put back the tray… I will look this morning and see how many are in there again. It is still a bit chilly to take the whole hive apart at the moment, so will wait awhile.
Just an update… I have been brushing the bees from the space between the floor and the white tray… not so many bees of late.
It was thought that they could be getting in through the reesece of one of the levels that sits just level with the white tray.???
I was advised to just take out the tray… so just have the slatted floor!!! So this poses a hole new way of looking after bees!!!
I will be researching more on this question???
Cheers
You might get away with that till winter time when removing the tray will expose addition cold draft to the colony, I*'m not recommending you do that as you can get colder weather most of the year down there.
Can you get another Flow Hiver to have a look at your to try to come up with the cause of the issue?
Regards Sue
My name is Kieran I work on the Flow Team, Customer Support.
You should not have to remove the Tray indefinitely. My worry is an inconsistency with screen itself, Although none can be seen in the picture you provided. The issue could instead be where the screen meets the timber. Do you notice any gaps there?
For ease of communication, and if any replacement parts will be needed, I ask that you send an email to faults@honeyflow.com, with pictures of the screen. It would also be good to get dimensions of the base and the screen if this is possible, so we can make a comparison on our end.
