Hi … sort of did my introduction on another sub-forum…
I am in S.Wales (between Neath & Swansea) and I would welcome contact with any Bee Keepers in Wales who use this system.
Or generally any UK keepers who have used Flow system after more traditional systems (WBC in my case)
I’m restarting from Scratch … so now is the right time for me to consider alternate systems.
Hi Everyone, My son and I did an update video on our Apiary. Hope you enjoy the short video.
Hi Sargan
If you starting all over again and will be buying all new equipment, then why don’t you go for the complete FlowHive. I am started with the FlowHive and all my equipment have the same Langstroth deep frames set-up.
That is what I am trying to find some background on … I have zero items from previous kit, so I have to buy new - trying to figure out what is best for me.
How many colonies do you want to have? Would you use FlowHive Supers on all the hives you want?
If the answer is Yes I would buy the complete FlowHive.
Assume you have made a decision to purchase Complete FlowHive, next question you need to ask yourself is the size, do you want 8 frame brood set-up of 10 frame brood set-up?
I started with the 8 frame brood FlowHive set-up, and have decided to keep to that set-up. As it makes easy to manipulate the hive when you have the same set-up.
I know of a beekeepers who prefers to use 7 frame FlowHive Super on his 10 frame Langstroth PolyHive.
Here is a link https://mbsy.co/mz8Nw for €50 voucher to purchase FlowHive on your 1st order.
If you have any further question please do not hesitate to contact me.
How do you have 6 or 8 frame ? Do you use blanking fames …I know you can’t just leave a gap or it will get filled.
The 8 Frame brood boxes come with 6 FlowHive Supers. While the 10 Frame brood boxes comes with 7 FlowHive Supers. The Flow hive frames where the bees deposit honey for you to harvest are wider than normal brood frames.
I have the 8 Frame brood boxes, which is the Classic FlowHive.
The FlowHive 2 come with a stand and had I started now from scratch I would have gone for that. As I would not have bought the material I had to make my Apiary stands.
Hope that helps
So it’s been almost four years since I started this thread. It’s good to see it’s been well used. Thanks to Paras for adding so much content. Shortly after receiving our Flow Hive we were offered a colony that was proving to be too much for a new mother beekeeper. We loaned her equipment and tried to take on a very strong hive. We struggled to find a third location 3 miles from both properties and ended up doing an experimental move that stressed the bees beyond their breaking point. They swarmed shortly afterwards and then later fell to some slipper and chalk brood problems. A couple of years later I’ve finally built our hive and looking to get it set up. Thank to all those who have gone before and provided tips and tricks.
Do you know the members in your association, my experience there is always someone members who would be happy to help to provide a temporary location.
Please also share more of your experience as it does help other members.
Thought I share my video on my inspection, my voice was not too loud so put a music as background instead.
Hi Ian,
I’m also in (North) Norfolk - I purchased my Flow hive several years ago when they first came out but haven’t built it or got started yet - life got in the way! Now I’m looking at getting my hive set up and would like to speak to someone locally for any help. Are you still using yours and what support have you got in the area?
Thanks
Hi
Yes I have two flow hives, had one or two setbacks, this year seem to be ok, just checked one which is very strong and the flow is full, it’s been a very good spring, hopefully draw some honey off soon .
If you need anymore advice please ask.
Regards
Ian.
Hi Just hived our first swarm in a new flow hive. Some experience of nationals before that (dad and grandad) but definitely a novice! Just one brood box in place atm, no foundations. Feeding with sugar syrup. Was a very large swarm. Very interested in others experience of flow system in the uk. Wondering roughly how long to feed and when to add the super?? Thanks in advance
Hi @Polly, welcome to the Flow forum. How nice to catch a swarm - “A swarm in May is worth a stack of hay”. 
I am not in the UK now, but I kept bees in Oxford for many years. One thing I would mention is that with a Flow hive, the only thing that is different from National hives is the harvesting method. I don’t know what your your family did, but I would bet that they kept hives with “brood and a half” or at least jumbo brood boxes. To do the same in a Flow hive, you will need either 2 deeps for brood, or a deep and a medium. Fill the brood boxes before you add a super, just as you would in National hives.
I would feed until they don’t take it, or until the brood box(es) are fully drawn and in use. Maybe a month or two, or less if your nectar flow is really good this year. Last year was not good, from what I heard.
You add the super at the same time as you would add any extra box. You want all of the following to be true:
When all of those are true, you have enough bees to defend and heat new space. Also you have enough house bees to prepare and use the new space. You may want to consider smearing some burr comb from hive inspections onto the Flow frames before you put the super on, like peanut butter. That will put pheromones onto them which make them smell like the hive, not like nasty plastic. 
Once again, welcome, and please ask if you have any more questions.
. Catching the swarm was really amazing, they were all over a gravestone in the local churchyard, quite a sight! Anyway thank you again I’m sure I will have more questions as I go along!
Hi again! So in the light of day we realised that the base of the hive had been put in place by my hubby upside down and back to front!! Bees seem to be coping ok and are feeding well, however it’s obviously not ideal. We need to lift the hive anyway to move the queen excluder from the bottom (which was recommended to stop queen leaving after we hired the swarm) to the top of the brood box. Thinking of doing this tomorrow evening. Any advice? Presume we should use a smoker to help calm things down. We have used brood box without foundation and just frames with the comb guides as provided. Never experienced working without foundation, how have you found this in the past? We are planning to purchase another brood box from Flow, also a Flow Super to fit a national hive to see how that works. Thanks again for your help!
Do it as early in the evening as possible. The more foragers that have returned to the hive for the day, the more you will be fighting them. I would prefer to do it around midday.
Don’t put the brood box onto a flat surface - you will squash a lot of bees. Either hold it while you correct the bottom board, or put it on top of the crown board/inner cover. As the crown board has a rim which is about bee thickness, it will lift the bottom of the frames away from the flat surface, and you will hurt fewer bees.
Definitely use a smoker. Smoke both the entrance and under the crown board before you lift it.
I use foundation, occasionally alternating it with foundationless. I have never started from totally without foundation. Others have, and the only thing to be aware of is that the bees are much more likely to create cross-combing. That needs correcting ASAP with a hive tool or knife, using rubber bands to hold the bent comb straight within the frames. Don’t let it go for more than a week or two, or you may have a lot of messy destruction on your hands as you try to correct it all.
Hi again Dawn. Thank you so much for your reply, I really appreciate you taking the time. We decided to tackle the problem just before midday today, and all went pretty well. I can’t believe how big the colony is for a swarm! We used four small blocks to support the brood box and seemed to manage with minimum loss. A couple of stings for my son on his hands, but not too bad. They are drawing comb out beautifully at the moment, nice and straight. But I will heed your advice and keep an eye on things there.It looks like they have stopped taking the sugar syrup now so will probably remove the feeder tomorrow, especially as we look set to have a period of nice settled weather now. Anyway, thank you again it’s so kind of you to give us the advice. Best regards, Polly
Hi Poly,
I am now using foundation-less frames, If I giving all new frames to a hive I would use both foundation & foundation-less frames, I would alternate the frames. That way it would prevent from cross comb building.
I have noticed they tend to make more drone combs in the hive when they are given a choice. My colonies at least produce about 20% drone combs in a hive.
Thank you! We inspected again today and had to do a bit of repair work but not too bad. Think we’re ordering another brood box from Flow this week so may get some foundation too and alternative as you suggest. Excited to see brood and honey, amazing how much they’ve achieved in two weeks! Ended up taking out one empty frame and having to leave it out as once we’d done repair work and separated the rest there didn’t seem to be space for it! Hope that was the right thing to do. Getting lots of calls about local swarms this week really wish id got second hive ready!!
