Where do you live (country/region)?
How many hives are you intending to set up?
Are you wanting to collect honey or pollen or both?
Iâm an enthusiast, not a professional, so take my comments with a pinch of salt:
for personal hives where you don't need to work and extract honey fast a flowhive is good
for multiple hives where extraction duration is a consideration flow frames would need careful consideration (traditional frames and a spinner would be faster)
for large apiaries where you don't have to regularly move your hives you might be able to setup a manifold system that lends itself to commercial use of the flow frames
Have you considered starting with just two hives this year, a standard langstroth and a flowhive, and judging for yourself to expand the year after?
@ToQcHista before you start a honey business I strongly advise you take a short course or workshop in bee husbandry, in addition to joining your local bee group. You need to learn about pests and diseases that affect bees and how to treat them. If you do not have this knowledge it will likely be a challenge to be successful.
i want say that im living in Georgia, probably you hear that Georgia is mountain place(more im targeting in xevsureti(region) you can search in google, how to look like xevsureti), so if i will start apiculture buss then im going to in mountain place, i have opportunity; im very interested this buss ;
my grandfather is apiculture, he is self-educated person, first in tree find bees and then begin apiculture with books;
2 years ago did 12ton honey, but he worked hard, he was using old hive, like this: he has about 50 hive http://www.westtownfarm.co.uk/uploads/contentareas/d_national_hives.jpg
but every bees died and then begin all again, as i get it bees has tick(worm)
so do you advice me that flow hive is best way begin apiculture ?
flow hive cost is very hight, 800$, it is hight but if it is worth i want exactly buy; yet i want learn apiculture;
first one, then when im will be ready i have to buy much flow hives
i dont know, what do you meaN? but i want honey earn it is good proccess )
for that i want ask you, when i have flow hive i dont need check bees ? do i need anything with my bees ? so i know at the time old hive need change honeycomb and all time need review honeycomb and bees, but im interested flow hive case, is need honeycomb change or survey bees?
okey, first step i want buy one flow hive to learn something; then more and more;
what should i do that my bees wonât die ?
Snowflake has raised several questions n ideas. First to advise you about starting a honey business we do need to know what region/country you live in.
Also do you have any experience raising honeybees yet ? If not, Iâd suggest reading n watch some good internet You-tube beekeeping videos. Also try n find a local beekeeper or club to get information n help from.
How many beehives do you want to eventually own n operate ? There are a lot of things to learn n understand before going into a big business ! If you want to learn, please start with two or three colonies of honeybees. As suggested by Snowflake you could start with one Flow-hive n one standard hive at first. This way you can compare harvest system. Most large cimmercial honey business do not use Flow-hive because itâs more expensive âŠ
I plan to eventually have 6 Flow-Supers on all 6 of my hives maximum. Iâm buying 2 special Flow-supers each years until I reach my number of 6 hives I want. I will only have a small backyard hobby or business. Iâm near 72 years old so that is plenty of work n honey for this old man.
Yes ! Flow-hive is a good system for learning to raise bee in. But you MUST learn to care for n work with bees all the time. I look n check my bees all the time. Honeybees have to be maintained at least twice a month later. When you first have new colony (Nuc) they must be carefully check once a week to 10 days. They are like baby at first.
It doesnât matter whether using Flow-hive or standard hive ⊠The first box is same same procedure to care for bees in either system. You need to find a good beekeeping book in your native language n careful read n study. âBeekeeping for Dummiesâ is a good book to start studying in your language. Also Flow has a list of good starting videos you can watch n study also. It is important you study n get some good help to be successful.
Also what is your first name only. Iâd like to use your name when writing n helping you ! And I need to know where you live (country or region). The advice is different raising honeybees depending on where you live. Bees raised in cold regions or wet regions or hot/dry is different !!!
Please help me by giving me your first name n region ⊠Thankz sir !!
Talk with your grandfather. Whatever he had to check bees for, you must do the same. Flow hive is not magic - you need to take care of the bees inside the same way as any other beekeeper in your region. The only thing which is different is the harvesting honey - much easier. As far as whether it is financially worth it, I would say not for a new commercial beekeeper. Try traditional beekeeping first. When you get to maybe 10 hives, make one of them a Flow hive, then you can compare.
I live in the State of Washington in USA. Here I live we have short summer with flowers n blooming trees. My caring n harvests is different to Southern California. Africa, New Zealand, Vietnam or Australia.
Each region has different requirements, problems, weather, season, bugs n diseases also. This is why it is important we know about where you live. I am guessing you donât need to know about rIsing bees when it is cold n snow for 2 or 3 months.
Looking forward to helping you again soon. If your serious about getting a Flow-hive be careful buying from Unauthorized dealer. There are a lot of Fake/not real Flow-hives for sale. They do not work n you loss your $$$ ! So be very careful to get a Real Flow-hive.
okey i should take care of the bees, but flow hive is easy way earn honey and i want simple way, i dont want work hard ; also i m going to buy much flow hive;
Pleased to meet you Tornike ! Dawn has written you also. She has wisely advised to start raising your bees local traditional way there in your country of Georgia. Dawn has raised honeybees longer than I n she has experience raising in other regions n climates than I.
Enjoy learning from locals n become the best in your region.