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Flow Hive. What's included

#1

I just got this in my email this morning. I’m sure some people aren’t on the mailing list or it may have gotten filtered so I decided to link it here too.

Hi everyone,

Thanks to you, our fantastic supporters, thousands of Flow™ Hives are now under 
construction and set to be delivered to more than 100 countries all around the world.

For the first time, co-inventor Cedar Anderson gives the full rundown on what’s 
included in our best-selling package, and how it all fits together, in this quick video.

This is exactly what you get with your Complete Full Flow™ Hive:
1 X gabled roof
1 X timber inner cover
1 X Flow Box
6 X Flow Frames
1 X queen excluder
1 X 8-frame Langstroth brood box, complete with 8 Langstroth frames
1 X screen bottom board
6 X Flow Tubes
1 X Flow Key
If you have any questions, visit honeyflow.com, check out our FAQs, and check in on 
the forums.
Happy beekeeping!

The Flow Team
Flow Hive Walk Through

Watch Cedar give a full rundown on what’s included in a Flow™ Hive, and how it all fits together, in this quick video. For more details visit: http://www.honeyflow.com/about-flow/flow-hive/p/65

Posted by Flow Hive on Tuesday, September 22, 2015
#2

Very clever bottom board. Equally clever brood frames. Well done guys. You’ve answered every question before it was asked.

Oh…except…when is mine coming!!!

#3

Check here, it’ll tell you exactly when you will get yours.

http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/flow-hive-delivery/2462/3?u=adagna

#4

I asked this elsewhere but here is probably a better spot.

Why the queen excluder? I thought the flow frames didn’t need a queen excluder?

#5

There is a post about someone not using a queen excluder and their experience posted not long ago. The design discourages the queen from laying it in them but it wont prevent her from laying in it if she really wants to or doesn’t have anywhere else to lay.
http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/my-experience-of-using-flow-frames-without-an-excluder/2956?u=adagna

#6

Not sure if this is the right thread, however I was intrigued by the part in the video where Cedar talks on the brood frames. Cedar explained there were indents for the production of natural combs
and the video showed these drooping combs forming. A couple or so questions spring to mind.

  1. If you get a NUC hive with wired or plastic formed frames would the frames with the nics in them be compatible with wire frames?
  2. The formation of natural brood seems to be the easiest, with nothing more than a frame with nics in the top. Why isn’t it used more often? This is the first time I have seen mention of natural combs in a Flow hive. (Qualify that with “remember seeing” )
  3. Does natural combed frames support more bees and have a stronger hive?
  4. Is it more difficult to take the frames with natural combs out of the hive for inspection and would the examination be more difficult?
#8
  1. If you get a NUC hive with wired or plastic formed frames would the frames with the nics in them be compatible with wire frames?

If the frames are Langstroth and you are using Lang there are no problems mixing frames - I have 3 styles of frames in my boxes

  1. The formation of natural brood seems to be the easiest, with nothing more than a frame with nics in the top. Why isn’t it used more often? This is the first time I have seen mention of natural combs in a Flow hive. (Qualify that with “remember seeing” )

Personal choice - some say the natural build of wax is more healthy for the bees but you do forgo honey 1kg wax = 4kg honey production

  1. Does natural combed frames support more bees and have a stronger hive?

Some say yes depends if you use large or small worker comb or drone comb - personally the bees are a best judge of what they need

  1. Is it more difficult to take the frames with natural combs out of the hive for inspection and would the examination be more difficult?

There is a knack to tilting the frames - it took me a bit to get it - broke a few combs learning but that is what it is all about

Turn the frame side edge towards you, tip it up towards you on the vertical - then 90 degrees on the horizontal to view the other side. it is a sort of twisting movement on the vertical axis so the weight is on the frame when you turn it over - I’m trying to find a clip

#9

Absolutely great reply, thank you very much.

New to all this, still reading still forming opinion but the idea of naturally building their combs seems like a good idea. Additionally with the flow hive the system is reducing the amount of comb their building because of it, so having them build their comb naturally in the brood box may offset this desire and need. Any thoughts? Your comment about the bees are there best judge of what they need is fantastic.

I laughed a bit in the video when Cedar made comment about with every 2 beekeepers there are 3 opinions I thought that was quite funny especially after reading the forum. I would only slightly disagree, with every 2 beekeepers there are 5 opinions :slight_smile:

One thing I saw possibly missing in what we are receiving that I may need is an entrance reducer I guess I can easily be made.

#10

Thank you for this reply, it’s hard to keep up with all that’s on this forum especially for a newbie like me. This posting has helped, thank you again for reposting and staying on top of all the conversations it’s helping

#11

The questions I have would be, are the tubes included in the kit just the straight tubes? If so, where can I get the elbows that would be attached to the straight tubes that connect to the mason jars that I have seen in some pictures?

Our primary hive is going like gangbusters as we’re up to 3 supers (we call it the ‘bee condo’), so we’re ready for a Flow Hive split.

#12

From what I remember on previous videos that I’ve seen published by flow hive/cedar is that those can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowe’s or other department store similar to that. I have seen them there as well. The comment was/in some of the videos is you could just let the honey flow directly out of those tubes into a jar of honey. But, with that, other insects and bees would likely get in to the honey. So each scenario is slightly different therefore those rubber tubes connections are not included.

#13

Home brew shops would have similar tubing

#14

It doesn’t appear to come with the entrance reducer but as you said they are pretty easy to make and only a few dollars to buy if you need one. I noticed a lot of the videos don’t show them being used so it might just be that they don’t feel they are a required piece. I’m not sure.

#15

If you’re going to keep hives where it gets hot (90-95+) , think about using foundation or at the very least wiring the heck out of those brood frames. Also, consider using some plastic foundation in your wooden frames. It gives the bees direction and you are less likely to wind up with a big mess.
I tried gong completely foundationless in the brood nest and as I got towards the outside of the box the frames got really heavy with honey and collapsed with the slightest vibration.

#16

Hi hans yes the tubes come with the frames . I have 6 frames in hive and the tubes come in the pack.

Cheers

#17

This post was flagged by the community and is temporarily hidden.

#18

I had not thought about temperature and natural combs but is something I do have to consider.
Thank you.
We have a temperate climate with warm summers but not hot. Maybe 40 days in the range 30-34 deg C (86-93F) with about 10 or so days 35-39 deg C ( 95-104 F) and only 1 or 2 days a year over 40 deg. So not that extreme. Thinking about it however I think I will be prudent and probably use wire.

#19

Thanks Valli and DextersShed for your info.

#20

Being in Central Florida, that’s why we use plastic foundations in our brood and supers, because the high-90s heat does cause some weird comb-building characteristics in our hives and as you said, very fragile and weakened wax the closer the combs were to the sides. We try to keep the hives in the shade and the outside surfaces white-painted in addition to the wax foundations to help with this. Not sure what the heat factor will be with the oiled red cedar full hive we will be getting, but since we are a family of engineers, you can be sure we will be monitoring hive temps and auto-logging the results on a dedicated computer. It there is a thermal issue, we’ll post our findings and adjustment methods / results.