Honey leaking into trough while frame appears to be in closed position?

Ah OK, I think I understand. Any standing honey (like standing water) in the Flow drainage channel is a problem. The reason is that honey is hygroscopic - if not capped, it absorbs water, and then it can ferment. So you need to let it drain back to the bees ASAP, or rinse it out before harvest. If it is leaking around the cap, it sounds like the channel is very full = not good. :blush:

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Thanks Skeggley . This only just started with the heat we had yesterday , so hopefully is not going to be a problem and attract any vermin

Dawn not sure how the honey in flow channel can absorb moisture if drain hole etc is capped other wise you would think the honey would drain back into brood box . Would it not be just a big honey cell . Honey is about half way up caps in drain channel.

The Flow channel is not air tight. Not sealed with wax along its whole length. Air and water molecules are very small. Believe me, it probably gets very moist in that channel. @JeffH will tell you that he has smelled fermenting honey in there = too wet. :wink: It happens.

Ok Thanks , Looks like my Beezzz will be happy cleaning up honey in brood box for awhile .

Hey Charles, When I drain a frame I close and open it a few times, I figure that helps to clear any wax particles out of the way to help stop draining honey after the frame is closed. The bees then re-wax the cells.
Re honey building up in the drain trough at the bottom of the cap is a drain slot which the bees tend to wax over, a match stick is the right size to open the slot up and the bees will take the honey up into the cells and eliminate a flooding issue.
Regards

Hi Charles, you need to make sure the leak-back point is clear.
Honey should not be allowed to sit in the honey trough.

You can see the instruction in your manual on page 15, here:

image

You can use anything to clean that little space. I will try and take a photo when I can next to explain it better.

Thanks Faroe
Further question is that even though I have let honey from trough flow back into brood box I am finding that I am still getting a tiny little dribble from frames into trough . Keeping in Mind that all my flow frames are nearly full to capacity . Would rather the little blighters collected honey from outside in the wild instead of having it drain back into brood box.
So is this normal
Charles

@Forum_Support

Hey Charles, I had a small amount of dribbling after my first extraction which may have been from not giving enough time to drain the trough completely of honey. But either way that now seems to have stopped, maybe the girls are sealing the cell walls better :thinking:
Regards

In this scenario its usually the case that the bees have missed a spot in sealing the back of a few cells above the honey trough. Once they notice the cell has a leak and the honey is missing, they should explore and reseal any openings into the trough. After harvesting you will find the bees get the opportunity to be more effective in their sealing efforts. Although there is still the chance it might occur, the small amount that leaks is so quickly lapped up, even before it drips, that it the bees still have plenty of time for foraging flowers. You could do it a night time if you worry about them missing the opportunity to forage, being careful not to disturb the bees, and probably suit up. They can get a bit more protective when all the colony is at home.

–Kieran

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Happy New year All
My question is with the flow hive 2 ,does the bottom tray encourage wax moth or the larva that I find there been chased out of hive
Keeping in Mind are not finding any larva (grubs) in brood box
Thanks

Happy new year back at ya Charles.
I have replaced the screened board with solid bottom boards as I always found grubs in the detritus between the mesh and coreflute on the FH 1.
Having said that I think the FH 2 has a tray underneath that can be filled with DE or oil to combat pests including wm grubs.

Thanks skeggley . Also was just wondering what DE stands for ??? and presume it controls wax moth


Pool filter DE is not useable for pest control.
:+1:

Thanks again and do you happen to know where in perth you can buy DE
Getting the lingo now lol

I’ve not bought any however there are a few suppliers on gumtree and pet stores seem to be a go to place. Again, not the pool DE.
Do you really have 15 Flow hives?

Thanks have managed to find some and yes have 15 flow hives .
Took 20 kg of one a week ago ,is a 10 frame brood box , Most are only 8 frame brood boxes as easier to handle and get just as much honey , will stay with the 8 frames in future .

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Agree. Ask for food grade DE it has a different composition than pool filter DE

Thanks again and yes got food grade

Happy new year Charles. The tray will not encourage wax moth, but can help control it if you use the DE as mentioned, or another trap solution.