there is a lot of knee jerk mob mentality on the internet when it comes to flow frames. I use traditional langstroth and Flow- and I can categorically state: when it comes time to do my harvesting I know which one I prefer! Once you have some good harvests under your belt- and have done it the other ways-then you know the naysayers are Dead wrong. Last time I harvested a traditional super using my spinner it took me and a helper at least 4 hours- and that doesn’t take into account the clean up, dealing with the cappings, and waiting for the honey to strain. In terms of actual labour I can harvest a full flow hive in maybe 25 minutes (actual time is longer but that’s just lettign the honey flow out all by itself).
Traditional spinning is more efficient the more you do at a time- but takes a lot of equiptment and tiem when you are just doing one box.
Well the think is I think it’s great that with so many harvest methods we all get to choose what type of harvest suits ones honey preference. So even if your a flat earther or a sphere earther you can still set sail.
Yes it was a Facebook group moderator that gave me the boot, implied my harvest was fake and claimed I was working as a flow hive employee, it was a setup cuz no bees were present and other heaped on insults and allegations. Basically, I met a lunatic. I’m moving on and among intelligent friendly peeps. So all is well in my kingdom now.
Facebook is a world of its own and seem to go out of their way to be obstructive without any logical reason… We can survive, and live, without the likes of Facebook.
Cheers
I have no issues lifting my Flow super off, even fully loaded. Removing frames is just as easy and can be stored in a standard hive box until my inspection is done. You might be thinking of the Chinese knock-off version that isn’t made to standards.
Lol- that’s hilarious (though also annoying I guess?). Your harvest was ‘fake news’ to them. Poor fools wallowing in wilful ignorance. You could ask them to look closely and see all the bees right there in between the frames- working away as you harvest.
One point: you didn’t have bees find what you were doing- but sometimes they will. Bees will fall into your jars of honey and need rescuing- it could even set off robbing in fall. I really think the best way to harvest is to get clear tubes and a bucket (with fine sieve also) with a honey gate and hole with lids. I think doing it straight into the jars is asking for trouble. Also I like to leave the frames to drain in 1/4 increments, and with the bucket set-up you can walk away and leave it alone. Set a timer, come back- do another segment and so on. I do two frames a day - wait a few days and do two more. In this way any leaks of honey will be isolated to small areas, easily cleaned up by the bees as they occur, and minimised to a complete non-issue generally.
Afterwards it is very easy to decant into whatever using the honey gate.
When you get to 71 years of age and a flow super full of honey is only a few kgs short of your weight you will think again, I’ll bet on that. I have over the years gone down to 8 frame hives for the same reason.
A shame you don’t say where you live otherwise I would invite you to my hive next time I’m doing inspections for a coffee, ans so you can do the grunt work for me!!! not all of us are heavy weight power lifters.
Chinese copy junk is still made to a standard, a standard that suits China, but I do know a copy when I see it. My Flow Hives are the genuine article but thanks heaps for your valuable advice and offer to come and help at my apiary. Cheers.
At around 40 pounds at chest level it’s hard to lift the super with honey. This year my husband actually helped me lift the supers to inspect. I suited him up in my best bee suit and gave him the smoker. In two minutes he was across the yard smoking a bee in his face. I had to remind him he had protection on and the bee could not get him. It was funny and his help was well lets say needing development.
@Eva@Martha I admit I have never tried to fit them as I was told the lug rests are to high in a Langstroth box, have you actually had them fit below the top of a standard box???
Yes with a rear screw adjustment in the flow frame. But it’s a pain in the neck to do so for inspection I let it sit a little crooked. I think it’s the box dimensions as it’s an actual flow brood box I’m using. I can’t speak for other wood products. Some of my other equipment isn’t sized the same as flows is.
Ya they won’t fit in the way standard frames do - I just let mine sit crookedly and this works fine, better than me trying to lift the whole super when @busso isn’t around
@busso I’m still waiting for Wilfred to start mass production of his set up, of course my order will include the post holes. I love his hive house and brilliantly thought out.
Cheers
we just removed a flow super for winter the other day and did it by removing the frames one by one, shaking off the bees and placing the frames into a standard box. They don’t sit perfectly level but it’s no issue in a situation like that.
I’m only 45 and I do 400 push ups a week- but I agree: A full flow can be hard to lift- especially when the bees have thoroughly attached the bottom of every frame to the QX below (happens more with plastic ones).
