Winterizing with Flow Hive 2

[Faroe]

There are 2 options for the built-in ventilation control:

1. The spirit level sits on top of the brass knob: this blocks ventilation

2. The brass knob sits above the spirit level: this allows ventilation to pass through the vents.

This video shows you the 2 different ways in which you can position your built-in ventilation control.

BASE

I’m not sure about wood chips in the bottom. I’ve only seen things on the top of the hive, maybe @Gerald_Nickel has a suggestion? I think I’ve seen him using wood shavings in his roof.
From our instruction manual, it is only used for pest control and should be cleaned out prior to harvesting.

The other thing you could potentially put in there is diatomaceous earth or lime, like this Small Hive Beetle trap:

Small Hive Beetle (SHB) and Moth Trap using corflute slider

We have glued some small timber pieces 8mm square to the existing core flute on the flowhive to help catch SHB and moths. The trap is on the core flute board, goes in the lower slot and uses ordinary garden lime. The gap is too small for bees but allows the beetles in. It also catches any larvae that may drop through from inside the hive. Any beetles or moth get covered in lime and die. The lime lasts for months and just needs loosening up a bit every couple of weeks. When we remove the old li…

Hope that helps