I have just setup my first Flow Hive. I have just added my second brood box as this is what’s suggested here in southern Victoria. My question is the level of the hive while they draw comb. I am using foundationless frames. Do I keep the brood boxes totally level in all planes? Later whenI add the super and are ready to draw some honey off it would be easy just to adjust the hive 3 degs backward by adding a board under the from legs. adjusting the legs (screewing them in) takes more tome and effort? What do others do?
Cheers
Lloyd
I agree with @chau06. Keep it level side to side, that’s important.
I saw a disaster early this year when a new beekeeper didn’t keep it level side to side. It was obviously bad, which led to the frames being built unevenly. I leveled the hive & straightened up the combs, so that the combs were within the wooden frames, this was after discovering that no hive mat was used (traditional hive). The bees built comb straight up into the roof. A lot of honey flooded onto the bees while removing the roof. The removable tray containing DE didn’t stop a slime-out, caused by all the honey from the roof, coupled with the extra honey & damaged brood after the effort I made in straightening up the frames.
Guess who got the blame for the slime-out. Well it seemed like that at the time.
Hi Loyd, I made a set of blocks attached by a metal strap that i lift and place under the brood block legs. I do this so the hive tilts slightly forward so rain does not flow in from the front. to harvest I just remove the blocks a simple one handed procedure with the strap.
Cheer Brent