Hi PA folks! Really excited to see more local Flow adopters. Iām looking forward to sharing info & learning more as I get started. I live in Oreland, a suburb just NW of Philly. I have a complete flow hive and my package is coming this Saturday. After researching I decided to buy another deep, and also a regular 3-medium hive setup for possible swarm increase. I know that having two sizes of equipment isnāt ideal, but Iām also considering overwintering strategies. Iām in a class where the instructor is knowledgeable but very ag-industry orthodox, so Iām taking in all I can & weighing it against natural beekeeping sources like Michael Bushās site & Honey Bee Suite on the web. Decisions Iāve made so far:
Iām going with foundationless frames & might make a top entrance.
Will feed as needed & try to avoid more, and be conservative about harvesting
If my bees donāt make it this winter, next year Iāll make sure to find a local supplier (a bit shocked to learn that my ālocalā apiarist whoās also the class instructor drives down to GA for the packages he sells)
Finally, Iām still unsure if Iāll go with the typical 2-deep winter setup, or if 1 deep & 1 medium would be good for heat conservation & still hold enough stores. Iām assuming Iāll remove the Flow box & keep it clean & dry in the house after letting bees move stores down to brood boxes.

