Hi from Vence, South of France

I’m looking for local fellow ‘flowhivers’ in the the Vence area near Nice.

Is there anybody out there?

Best Wishes
Rick

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Bonjour Rick! I live in San Diego, California, but we visit the south of France 3 times a year. We have a tiny apartment in Mougins-le-Haut, about 30 kilometers from Vence. We have a French friend who knows a local beekeeper in Grasse, but he uses traditional hives and only speaks French :blush:. I have heard from him that it is a nice area for beekeeping. The main issue he has is attacks on the hives from Asian hornets (frelons).

You might ask your question in the Le Coin des Francais thread too. There are a lot of French Flow hives, but I don’t recall reading of any near you in the Alpes-Maritimes.

Hi, Dawn thanks for replying!
I got my bees from a local beekeeper who uses traditional hives. He’s not that keen on the flowhive so I thought I would reach out to others who might be! My bees have taken a long time to occupy the flow super but remain healthy and active in the brood box. The bees have waxed the gaps etc. in the flow super but as yet not formed honey. This is the second year for the hive. I’m a complete novice and wonder why? Yes, I spend time swatting the Asian Hornets who pester the hive.

You are not alone. :wink: I pushed some burr comb wax into my Flow frames, and my hive started using them within a couple of days. However, my hive has 2 brood boxes and was very strong when I put the super on top. There is a very helpful thread with lots of ideas, linked below, but I think the most likely thing is just that some bees take their time. Once they start using the super though, they will use it much faster the next time. Several people have had to wait 2 years to see the bees use the frames, then after the first harvest, the bees refill the super in 2 weeks. Just one of those unpredictable things. :smile:

Many thanks for the ‘heads up’ will give it a try!