We bought the flow hive and set it up in our garden more than two months ago. No bees have moved in yet, only cockroaches. Sprayed the cockroaches so they are gone now. Is there anything we can do to attract the bees? Plenty of flowers in the garden.
Ahh, you need to obtain a nucleus hive or a package of bees with a queen and install them in your hive, it is very unlikely that a swarm will just move in of its own accord.
If you’ve sprayed the interior or exterior of your hive with pesticide it is even less likely they will move in and you should make sure it’s gone before putting any in yourself.
Hi Mani, welcome to the forum. Stevo is right, your new Flow hive is just a small part of your beekeeping plan - you’ll need to get in touch with local apiaries who supply starter colonies and provide lessons or mentoring. There are lots of UK beeks on the forum who might be near where you live and could point you in the right direction, take a look at the Introductions thread or type some location keywords into the search area.
Good luck, and please do clean off all traces of pesticide from your hive and surrounding area
Welcome to the forum where you will find lots of help and tips. Stevo and Eva have given excellent advice.
First you need to wash anything that got the cockroach spray on it several times with hot soapy water to remove and traces of the poison that will kill bees as fast as cockroaches.
My advice is to find your local bee group and join it. There will often be members there that are doing a split and have a nuc for sale. You will also learn about bee keeping that will be a big help.
Cheers