Pictures to come soon but first a couple questions, what is the Kora flute piece for and what are the two different height settings for it in the bottom below the screen? And right now I don’t have the super’s on just my nuc and added three blank frames into my brood box with the 5 full of bees with plywood cover with the round hole in the top in between The brood box and the roof…(I had read that you should cover that hole with it set up like this so that bees do not be encouraged to build brewed up in the roofs area)?
Which I did with a small flat Rock so they can’t get up there right now, but what is this piece for and why is there a large hole cut into it? Thanks Matt
First of all, cannot answer the question concerning Kora, not sure what that is.
As for the round hole. It is for feeding the bees in the future. You can put a jar on top so you can feed the bees internally.
Take a look at this video from Cedar with flow frame group. He explains what the hole does/is for
https://youtu.be/00qT8O2MyxQ
And by the way, very good at not putting any other box on top until this brood box is physically busting at it seems and you think they’re about to swarm is when you may want to put a second brood box or the honey super on top. Depending on your climate and what your other beekeepers do in the area is a good testament on what you should do next. Whether it’s a brood box or your honey super.
I have not looked to see where your location is, but here in Texas we typically run to brood boxes and one honey super at least
Corrafulute ( plastic board in lower part of hive, goes in grooves below metal screen)
Is this addressing something I said, not understanding this
Hey @Hunt4honey welcome to the forum! That piece of gear is called coreflute, and is the way to partly close off a screened bottom board (SBB). It slides into the bottom board at the rear of the hive. Flow hives have two positions, but many beeks choose to put the coreflute in at the topmost one and leave it, because frequent changes in airflow that the bees don’t have control over is disruptive. They already have their own strategies for heating, drying and cooling inside the hive so I am a “set it and forget it” beek when it comes to openings.
About the hole in your inner cover, that’s for airflow and can be used as an opening for feed placed under the roof. I’ve never had to block or screen mine but others report comb-building in this space if they don’t do so.
Good luck - looks like you’re off to a great start!
Most people call it “coreflute” or “coroplast”. You mean the corrugated plastic slider, I guess.
Flow suggests that you use the upper slot when harvesting a frame on the hive, as the slider is then close enough for the bees to clean up any minor spills which may drip down through the hive.
Many people put it in the lower slot for the rest of the time, so that small hive beetle larvae etc will drop through the mesh floor. Some people use a tray with oil or diatomaceous earth in it to kill the pests faster. I don’t use the lower slot at all, as I have a Flow hive Classic and found that ants made a nest on it in the lower slot = bad news.
The hole is to place a feeder over the top for new colonies, or winter feeding if bees are running short of honey on the frames.
Here’s some different pictures of actual nuc I transferred from plastic box to my flow hive brood box…
What can someone tell me about the capped portions in pictures as far as how full they are?( Looks to me to be 75% capped approximately?)
How soon should I reopen and look to see if they are starting to fill out the remaining 3 frames?( Check for invasive species?)
With an angled view of frames like your photo, you can’t tell properly. The reason is that you need to see into the bottom of the uncapped cells to see if there are tiny brood or eggs in there. If you are talking about “full” with brood, that whole frame could be full, but we couldn’t tell from the photo. Yes, about 75% capped, but the rest might have unripe honey, pollen or very young larvae in it. In any case, it looks like a very nice nucleus, with a great queen.
Depending on your current nectar flow, I would leave it at least a week, and up to 2 weeks. Opening the hive stresses the bees and sets the colony back a couple of days, so it is best not to open too often with a very new colony.
Ok thanks, should the 3 empty frames be on the outside like I have them or next time I open up maybe move these empty frames to the center?
Nope, leave them like you have them now. If you put them in the middle of the hive, you will break up the brood nest, increasing the workload for the nurse bees. Sort of like somebody dividing your living room in half, ripping off the roof and putting a garden in the middle of it. Bit chilly!
This is where you ask three beekeepers and you’ll get five different answers.
Not disagreeing with Dawn for the first week or two. If after you go back into the hive and inspect and the other three frames are not fully drawn out, I would suggest trying to move them inward staggering them a bit. I.e. not drawn out between frames that are existing that have plenty of bees on them. You can do this slowly. Not all at once. It will help them develop all the frames equally.
I’m sure I will get negative comments about this, but it works for me quite well
In summer I often introduce a foundationless frame somewhere in the middle, especially when I take out a brood frame or two for whatever reason. Wouldn’t do it now in winter.
With a new nuc in a new box, I would put the new frames outside.
Couple of pieces of note here he’s in Ohio, northern hemisphere, it is about the start of summer late spring right now. So, as you stated you would do something like this. Just not approaching winter.
Not sure if I would want to introduce a NUC to new frames approaching winter either.
Do you add new frames between brood frames in nuc boxes approaching summertime Marty?
Checkerboarding is a common swarm prevention method but shouldn’t be done with a weak colony any season.
Certainly did not do it just after transferring NUC. Once the girls got established after a couple weeks. I did stagger the frames and just within a couple of days after doing that all the frames were drawn out. This was told to me by my mentor to do and I followed his instructions. Yes, a week hive is not good to do it on for their struggling already. But a strong hive, not building out the outer frames, is reason why you might want to move them in a frame or two.
Good, I am happy to read that you promote two brood supers, the second as you said add after the 1st box is bursting, then at the flow,or even another Brood, right? if working on your colony alone, and are patient to receive honey later. Very new to bees, My husband bought me a surprise flow hive for Christmas! Yesterday we received our Nuc! and they are now adapting to their new home! Any advise is very welcomed!!!
Not sure many in Florida run double deep brood boxes - might check with some of your locals!
Yes, I am in Suncoast beekeppers club here and two broods are not uncommon, when growing your colony firstly, as opposed for getting honey. I have a friend who wants honey first! badly!!! hahahaha
Good for you on your priorities Brenda! There’s lots to learn and it’s also good you joined a club There’s so much support and guidance here too - as Alok said, don’t be shy to ask any questions!