UK Flow keepers

Snow White the queen from 2016 and she is laying okay, will only replace her if I a better queen to replace her with, otherwise will make all efforts to ensure she goes through the coming winter. Her daughter Fire Opal from 2017 started the season early and has really performed well.

Next year will plan on getting some 4 frame Nuc boxes from honey Paw and rear new queens. I would only replace the queen if the new one out performs the current one.

Helloooo Uk Beekeepers

There doesn’t seem to bee much going on the forum from here in the UK right now.
Let’s hear your stories and successes and how you’re doing during this wonderful Summer we’re having!
Here’s hoping to kick start this thread… :sunny: :honeybee: :yellow_heart:

There is. It is just that the UK beekeepers are not very nationalistic. :smile:

@Dee @sunrisebluesky and @johnjuniorsterling have all posted recently. They are all in the UK. This forum is not very tribal though, all are welcome to discuss all issues, wherever they are based. :smile:

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Hello Im from the UK. A newbie in my first year. I have gone from two hives to 5! Caught a swarm, split one that i figured was about to swarm and brought on a few frames of brood with a QC that is now a Q that when i move to yet another hive i hope will be laying in earnest. Cant seem to keep up with the equipment demands!! :wave:

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Hello, I thought people ran away from this chat room after my last post, lol

I have performed two artificial swarm control early the year and only got to raise one queen (Ruby), I thought she was not laying well as had only four frame of brood. I gave a full 8 frames of stores to the colony from a laying worker colony which I kicked out from the hive.

The laying worker bees colony did not raise a queen successful so decided to removed the hive from it’s location and let the flying bees find its new home. I shook all the bees out 100 yards away and most the flying bees are at the bottom of the Ruby’s colony in the evening, during the day they are foraging.

I have bought two Nuc boxes from Honey Paw and will get some more for swarm control and raising new queens each year, if I don’t need them I shall sell the Nuc bees as long as it has successful laying queen. That way I can be making my own queen each year when I am preventing swarm control. As my colony are large I will buy 3 Nuc Boxes per colony for swarm control. The Nuc boxes take 4 frame and have a top feeder.

Snow White my 2016 queen started off slow they stayed to 10 frames of brood however rather than working on the super they were storing in brood box, I moved all the stores last weekend at the bottom and uncapped the honey, the bees started to move the honey into the supper.

Snow white’s daughter Fire Opal my 2017 queen expanded very early in the season and had about 16 frames of brood by April, I performed an artificial swarm with both colonies using Snelgrove method.
Though Fire Opal daughter queen was not successful this is the colony which had laying workers.

Fire Opal’s colony has four frames ready to harvest at present, I shall be harvest the frames that are fully capped. I have never pulled the frames out to see if they are capped nor will I do that, I just been observing from the window to see if they are capped from the side, as the bees have been starting to fill the honey from center 1st and move on to the edges.

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Well here we go. Hi UK flowbeeks! Add me to the list. I purchased the full flow system on launch and it spurred me into becoming a beekeeper. Joined my local, Sheffield, society, did the course etc. My 3rd year now! Finally some honey. First year - drone laying queen. Last year various other problems. I now have 3 hives and my main one is going great! A young queen. Oodles of bees in 2 full langstroth brood boxes. I jettisoned the flow hive as its only an 8 frame box, and my others are 10, so redesigns and modified a brood box for the flow frames. Purchased and extra frame to make it 7.
so here we are: not long before harvest. can’t wait…

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It’s great to see that your persistence is finally paying off. Well done, cheers.

FlowHive bees are Pollen Crazy

I’m not sure that flow hive bees are any more pollen crazy than old school hive bees. It looks like you have plans to greatly increase your apiary.

I had set-up my Apiary that way from the start to allow for expansion. I do have plan on getting more FlowHives. Also need to raise new queens and Nuc.

I am aware that bee’s don’t care what hive they living in and they would bring the same amount of pollen on other hives if they had the space. I thought it would be good conversation starter in the UK chat.

I think most UK FlowHive are on FaceBook.

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Well done Paras, good luck with it all, cheers.

Morning everyone,
New bee keeper here flow hive arrived yesterday so putting it together today with my son and his grandparents a proper family hobby. Ordered a nucleus of bees do they need to be on national frames or lanstroutgh? We have joined the local bee association but I must say they are very anti flow hives with some even saying send it back get your money back and get a a national hive!!! Anyone else managed to progress with the flow hive? We are in Leicestershire anyone near to us? Would like to prove to our association that this type of hive works amazingly and that it is the future.

Good morning,
Welcome to the forum. I’m in Sheffield and been bee keeping 3 years. Last year managed 10kg of honey from my flow frames - yummy and now all gone. very popular with the extended family!
When you ordered your flow hive you will have ordered either a national or langstroth version, so check. In Australia, indeed worldwide, langstroth sizes make up about 70% of hives. here in the UK the smaller and squarer national sizes are more popular. I’m on Langstroth frames and hives [I have 3 now over wintering nicely]. It’s hard to mix and match [and expensive] so now is the time to decide if you will be National hive keeper, or Langstroth hive keeper.
From what you’ve written I am assuming this is your first toe-dipping into bee keeping. Joining the local association is a good start. There’s a lot to understand in bee keeping, and having an experienced beekeeper on hand to help and guide you through your first season or two is invaluable. Does you local bee association run a course for new beekeepers? IT was there I found two ‘bee buddies’ just starting out, one also using Flow Frames. Over the years we chat and help each other out with problems that arise when dealing with the ‘wild animal’ that are bees.
There are pros and cons to Flow Frames. But learning how to look after bees is the first priority - read, and keep reading.
Andy

Thank you Andy,
Yes we have joined and signed up for both theory and practical courses and they finish just as our bees arrive so all being well we will be ready to roll. I believe there is one other person with a flow hive who is a member but she got a rather frosty reception, it all seems to be down to money everyone wants to do it on a shoe string :joy::joy: will find out shortly which frames we have as my parents ordered it as our Xmas present for us. My little boy is so so so excited he has told everyone even random strangers that he going to be a bee keeper… would be nice to hook up with some other people near to us with a flow hive tho just so we can share our experiences.

If there’s a local person using a flow frames, make her a good friend, especially if she is using it successfully. She will feel isolated perhaps, and likely receptive to another ‘flow framer’ nearby and in the association. Good that’s you’ve done the courses. Excellent,
It sounds from your message that the bees have just arrived? IS that right? It’s the wrong time of year to be hiving bees, too cold for them to make wax and pull out foundation on frames. Usually its a NUC [Nucleus, a small colony] in June time that’s ready to move into a larger house…

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:joy::joy:no the bees are just on order to arrive late May early June when we have completed the courses. I am going to ask for contact details for the lady as think it will be good to listen to her and we can both learnt together then and may be the association will see the positives in the flow hive.

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Phew. June will come soon enough. Yes, talking and getting to know a local Flow Frame keeper will perhaps help you get off to a flying start. Enjoy!

Morning Treemansi,

It seems you have ordered the complete FlowHive which is Langstroth based. I could suggest you get Langstroth Nucleus Colony will make life easier. Also if you could start with 2/3 hives is better, having one is not easy as other members are on National, unless you have members with Langstroth hives.

The reason to start with 2/3 colonies is that you have something to compare your hives and can salvage a hive when it can be by giving frames of brood from a stronger hive.

I have 6 FlowHives and at present have 3 colonies soon to expand to occupy all other FlowHives. I harvested 30kgs last year from 2 FlowHives. I would have had more but I am still learning as I am working with my bees.

This will me 4th Year I will be starting.

Try and find out what area is flowering around 3 miles from your bees, oilseed rape crystalises and Ivy also crystalises. If you have those around you, you want to avoid putting the FlowHive Super, have an ordinary super instead.

Oilseed rape is around April time and Ivy honey is at Sept - Oct

Hi Just learn the art of beekeeping, when you go the the meetings say you have Langstroth hive for now until you have proven your skills and then you can open upto them.

In my division we have few FlowHive beekeepers and any new people who want to know beekeeping and want to start with FlowHive they are referred to me to guide them.

Thanks for everyone’s help we have put the hive together yesterday and pretty much all is ready for the bees after we have done the courses starting next month. Going to get this hive up and running this year then look at getting a second next year or even the year after once we are confident as a family about having bees. My little boy has already started planting bee friendly seeds int he garden and drawing bee pictures.

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