Hello! I haven’t purchased a Flow hive just yet, since I have some questions! I live in St. John’s in Newfoundland, Canada, and I know that the bees in this province are some of the very few left in the world that haven’t been affected by diseases, and I love honey! But, I have no idea what I’m doing or how to get started. I like the Flow hive though, it looks nice and easy for someone who’s never handled bees before. There’s no by-law concerning bees here at all, but is there a certain amount of space they need? Will they survive the winter? I have a big dog as well, how far away do I need to keep her to prevent her from being stung? Where do I buy bees?
You still need to learn to handle bees. The flow frames are a system to extract honey not keep bees. Is there a beekeeping club you can join where you can get some hands on experience and a mentor to guide you? I once spent a wonderful June in St. Johns whale watching; you are lucky to live in such a wonderful part of the world.
Go to this site and talk to Perry. He is from Nova Scotia and does well at keeping bees alive in that climate.
I like the Flow hive though, it looks nice and easy for someone who’s never handled bees before.
You still have to handle bees. It just simplifies harvesting.
There’s no by-law concerning bees here at all, but is there a certain amount of space they need?
I have had them in my backyard in town for many years. They will forage the 8,000 acres around you regardless of what size space you put them on.
Will they survive the winter?
Bees often do and often don’t.
I have a big dog as well, how far away do I need to keep her to prevent her from being stung?
What you can sometimes get by with and what is prudent are probably different. Any animal if it can run away is probably fine. If the animals are confined, then they need to be able to get at least 100 yards away from the bees in case the bees turn mean for one reason or another. You may get by with a lot less with typical bees, but sometimes they don’t end up typical…
Where do I buy bees?
I’d find some local beekeepers and ask. See if there is a club or an association.