Perth (WA, AU) Flowhives and honey flow

Hiya Adam, I saw the article on your presentation, nice one, well done mate. :+1:

Cheers. The Perth one was probably the weakest of the talks. Had fun with the smaller groups at Margs and Bunbury.

Hope everyoneā€™s bees had as good a day as mine in the LL. 1.18kg up for the dayā€¦

https://export.highcharts.com/

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@AdamMaskew what scales are you using? Arnia? Openhive? WiFiScales? Something else? Iā€™ll still on the lookout for an affordable propositionā€¦

WiFiScales, with two load cells and rapid fire (customisable measurement increments). I also have an original two cell WiFiScale on another LL.

It was the best bang for buck we could find when we were looking a couple of years ago. A few more options out now.

http://www.wifihivescale.com/index.php

Adam, how do you relate humidity in the brood box to increase in brood activity?
I see higher humidity in some hives. Do you think it indicates more brood activity?

I equate higher humidity to an absence of bees from that part of the hive. I havenā€™t seen that much of a difference in humidity between the brood and active areas (40-60% humidity rh). I see the humidity get higher than this when bees are absent from the hive (70-90% rh)

The graph below shows this I hope. You can see I had bees active around two sensors but not the third. Only one of those areas had brood a month ago. I find temperature a much better indicator of where the brood is. I have also found that sensor location is very important. Top of frames do not provide an indication of what is happening on the frame below, the bees will ā€œblockā€ the gap between the frames to manage temp and humidity.

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@AdamMaskew Thanks. I was about to purchase them last night held off after I saw your post.

Why?
I donā€™t have the wifi range to hives and our mobile coverage is nil to poor. Our internet is through NBN satellite. So it would not be suitable for me.

Iā€™ve been looking for something affordable and wanted to ensure @AdamMaskew hadnā€™t found another option. Iā€™ve looked at the GSM options and they all seem too rely on 2Gā€¦ Which no longer works in Oz.

Try looking at OpenHive. You can dummy up a mobile device. I donā€™t think youā€™ll have remote access but you can get data when you go to the hive.

WiFi scale gsm works on our network. I have a friend down Margs way with 2 gsm scales.

There are more options but Im yet to find one that is better for my needs.

Busso regarding WiFi signal you can get extenders so that you can push your range out a far way.

Adam

Yes, but starts to get more complicated.

Ainā€™t that the truth? :thinking: The number of times I have to reboot my network and all peripherals in the correct order so that they keep working is almost a part time job! :blush:

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Isobel Nikoloff NEWBIE to Flow Hive calling you. Yes, i too started Feb 2019. Right now i see only bees in observation window and assume swarming imminent. I need assistance to at once do split (after buying/building brood box or boxes)ā€¦ can you please give my name ISOBEL NIKOLOFF and tel. 08 9293 1865 to local/semi local flow hivers??? iza

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Hiya Isobella, welcome to the forum.
If your bees are about to swarm now Iā€™d be surprised. Very surprised!
Weā€™re not in a Flow and Iā€™m seeing little build up just down the way in Goosie Hill. Is the super on the hive?
You may like to edit your number out of the above post, best kept for PMā€™s only.
:wink:

If youā€™re near Albany, Great Southern Supplies stocks a range of glass and plastic jars and containers.

A note to anyone in the 'burbsā€¦ If you havenā€™t checked your hive it might be a good idea to get in have a look! :slight_smile:

I over-winter with a hybrid super in place and for my first inspection of the season today Iā€™ve got a full capped flow frame to harvest. This is earlier than recent years (about a month to 6 weeks), so the mild winter has been kind it seemsā€¦ The other two flow frames are almost harvestable and the 4 traditional frames are fully capped (3 were full and capped going into winter).

Inspecting the brood chamber was also a pleasant surprise. I had 6 frames nearly all eggs, larvae, or capped brood, 1 frame of honey, and 1 frame mixed with pollen, honey and brood.

Iā€™ve already got a few drones and drone cells too. The interesting thing (for me) is that the drone cells are in a different spot to usual. This time they are at the back of the hive and up the rear vertical edge of one of the frames (frame 5 I think, but Iā€™d need to check the photos I took to reconfirm). Normally the drone cells tend to be closer to the entry. I suspect itā€™s got to do with issues I continue to have with the coreflute (Iā€™m thinking of going to a solid bottom this year).

As part of the inspection today I cycled two traditional frames out, two (mostly) capped brood frames up to the hybrid, and put two new frames (with wax starter) either side of frame 4 into the brood box.

Iā€™ve still got to seal another hybrid super for use this year, as I think I might use two hybrids instead of a full flow super this year.

No luck spotting the Queen today, unfortunately. But unless I killed her today by accident (doubt itā€¦) sheā€™s going well it seems.

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Yep, nice advice Snowy, I did the same as Iā€™m seeing/hearing drones at the hives. Seems my surprise at @isobella stating her swarming fears may have been poor advice, hopefully she got some help and didnā€™t lose a swarm. They just explode when the weather warms! My badā€¦
Took out 4 honey frames from 1 colony and added the Flow super. Hopefully get into another this weekend to do the same Iā€™d expect. Nearly splitting time and have extra boxes for the job as none of my nuc colonyā€™s made it through winter. :slightly_frowning_face:

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Isobel here. How excellent to receive two replies from forum ppl. Yesterday i ordered a brood boxā€¦ and will ensure i also buy Queen excluder. I am a newbie. And will hope to construct and use new ā€˜boxā€™ as such by asapā€¦ incorporating a third level into existing Flow Hive. A recent concern is this, am seeing very small ants inside the hive and as well a small cockroach or two at area of flow tubes. Red alerts?

sincerely, isa

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Ants are concern. Roaches, while unpleasant, are less of a concern.

Look for posts on this forum about ant control for ideas. Iā€™ll type more later if I get a chance to help with the suggestions.

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