Why are bees in the flow key slot?

[skeggley]

Apart from the keyhole cover as Chau says I’ve seen this happen on the forum where the top has cracked and the bees could get in. Same thing that has happened in this thread.

Flow Frames - Longevity

Probably not a popular topic, but here goes. In my experience the frames last about 2 years before the plastic ages and becomes brittle. I typically pull these frames in the fall and store them in a shed. I test the frames before insertion in the spring. When testing using the key I find that the plastic housing can crack which then makes it a bit difficult to use when your frames are later filled with honey. So am I wrong here in thinking you need to replace these frames say every 2-3 year…

Tagging @Freebee2.