Rehousing bees during Flow hive repairs - advice please!

Our Flow Hive is now 6 years old and is in desperate need of some repairs. Any suggestions on how to go about temporarily removing the hive whilst the repairs are carried out then replacing the hive into the Flow Hive would be appreciated.

Hello and welcome to the Flow forum! :blush:

I would think that the best option would be to buy a cheap Langstroth hive from a local supplier, and just transfer all of the frames over into that. You will need a bottom board, a brood box (Langstroth deep box) and another Lang deep for the Flow frames if they are occupied. If you want to be able to harvest the Flow frames while you restore your original boxes, you will need to modify the Flow frame deep box. Flow has full instructions on how to do this. You will also need an inner cover and a roof.

Please ask more if any of this isn’t clear. By the way, I would suggest shortening your heading if you can - it is very difficult to read from the topic summary, because it is so long (it overflows). :wink:

1 Like

This was @Chris_Abes original title. I hope he will forgive me for modifying it! :blush:

Our Flow Hive is now 6 years old and is in desperate need of some repairs. Any suggestions on how to go about temporarily removing the hive whilst the repairs are carried out then replacing the hive into the Flow Hive

Yep I’m on the same boat, the tung oiled founding cedar boxes are splitting in a few places and I will be using some of my spare boxes to rehome them. I’ve already changed the lid and base. I’ll do this as our marri flow begins and likely without smoke due to the restrictions.:weary:
It’s always handy having spare boxes on hand.

Hi Dawn, many thanks for your great suggestion. That will have to be my next project before winter.
Also, got mixed up with the heading but will get it sorted next time. :thinking:

1 Like

Hi Chris I just replaced the brood box of similar age. The bottom board had rotted.
I always keep a pair of old timber saw horses near the hives that I place the super on when inspecting.
I also have permanently setup up Besser blocks for a another hive or split as required. I moved the super.
I placed an empty brood box on the ground and transferred a couple of frames. I then moved the original box to the the Bessel blocks and the new box to the originals location. I quickly relocated all frames shook the last of the bees in from the old empty box and then returned the super. I always place a few branches from the ground to the landing board to help the young ones up.
Good luck.

2 Likes

Hi Gary,
Great advise, thank you. We might purcase a new Flow Hive and carry out the transfer as you describe.
The upper board is rotted at one section and the bees had built some hive between the upper board and the roof, amazing.
Have a Happy New Year.

1 Like

Hi Chris, I noted your comment regarding the upper board is rotted at one section. I think that the extra cost of WRC is money well spent.

1 Like