Flow Hive - more info

[Erichalfbee]

How about we all chip in and buy one for beekeeping forum.co.uk ?
A volunteer could keep it and report back.

 

[madasafish]

How about we all chip in and buy one for beekeeping forum.co.uk ?
A volunteer could keep it and report back.

We could have a VOTE and choose the volunteer . That would be fun

 

[Erichalfbee]

We could have a VOTE and choose the volunteer . That would be fun
Wouldn't it just

 

[For want of a better word]

Having seen some videos of this...the channel is sloping so the honey runs to the back of the hive for extraction via a tube which you insert...first removing a plastic bung....for which pliers may be needed. The bung leaves a small opening and any remaining honey can run out of the channel and into the hive.....the bees can lick the honey up as it leaves the channel. Failure to fit the tube into the channel correctly ....for instance fitting the wrong end of the tube into the channel, may leave this opening unprotected and your honey will run into the hive. I believe this is shown when a numpty connected it up wrongly.
I have recently seen video and pictures of some of the new Flowhive frames in use...full of capped honey. The bees will fill them the same way they fill any plastic frame. I used plastic frames for the first time last year. I painted them with some of my own bees wax. The bees built on them immediately and used them for stores too.
I would think that some of the people using the flow frames have been rather impatient and used them on small colonies and / or when there isn't a flow of nectar....but then you wouldn't expect honey in those circumstances whatever type of frame was used.

There me thinking this is going to be a bit of a problem... as most will be bought by numpties?

Time will tell


Yeghes da

 

[Tremyfro]

Oh that's alright then - if it's been on yootoob - I'll slap my order in for a couple of gross pronto

Well...I didn't say I saw it on utube. It would be great if you did buy some then we would all benefit from an experienced beekeeper using them..show us the way forward ...or not as the case may be.
I used both kinds of plastic frames...some with full foundation and some with the cells printed on it....the bees used both.
I did feed my bees at the time...so they were on a flow of sorts...the weather being so poor last year! They filled 12 frames.
I used them out of interest...to find out for myself if I liked them...I had read various opinions on them. I can't see that the flow frame is hugely different.

 

[Tremyfro]

There me thinking this is going to be a bit of a problem... as most will be bought by numpties?

Time will tell


Yeghes da

Ha ha ...yes lots of numpties....with and without flow frames. Lack of knowledge is all very well during the educating phase when starting out..taking courses...finding a mentor....joining clubs.....but where a living creature is at the mercy of ignorance through over enthusiasm and absolutely no knowledge...well I find that just frightening. I see it all the time in the horse world...where people buy horses for themselves or their child...they have no knowledge of how to look after it or handle and care for its wellbeing.
There has been a lot of questions about how to care for bees on the Flowhive sites. A lot of good advice about educationing yourself.
Still a new beekeeper has to start somewhere...we aren't born with the knowledge ...only the desire to aquire it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I used both kinds of plastic frames...some with full foundation and some with the cells printed on it....the bees used both.
........... I can't see that the flow frame is hugely different.

You have used plastic frames and plastic foundationThe saniflo hives don't have plastic foundation for the bees to build on - it is a complete plastic comb ready for storing in - totaly different ballgame.
and as for buying one to trial - I have much better things to squander my hard earned cash on

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There has been a lot of questions about how to care for bees on the Flowhive sites.

And a handful of trumpets on there more than willing to dole out bad advice!

 

[Tremyfro]

When I bought my bees and hives a few years ago....not one of the companies offered any advice in regard to using the hives or looking after the bees. I asked lots of questions and I was given answers. I researched and I read a load of books and I did several courses and joined a club.....and later I joined this forum.
My point being that the Flowhive company is under no obligation to help beekeepers and potential beekeepers...after all....other companies don't. However, they have shown themselves to be helpful...setting up an Internet site and Facebook pages. Answering endless questions. I really don't think anyone can fault their commitment to helping people use their invention.
Recently they have also made a series of educational beekeeping training videos.
For myself I am interested in all things...I don't close my mind to new ideas and although the Flow frames may be an old idea reincarnated....certainly their development of it is new.
I don't think anyone expected the take up by the public of the Flow Hive. It has made them a lot of money. I must be wonderful to have made the idea work and for it to be so successful....so far. It yet has to show that all the beekeepers and numpties can make it work for them too.
It is clear that the bees will fill the frames with honey ...so there is no arguing about that. The mechanism of extraction is said to work and has been shown to work...but the beekeepers and numpties haven't yet used it...so we wait to see that...of course some beekeepers are numpties too!

 

[charlievictorbravo]

and as for buying one to trial - I have much better things to squander my hard earned cash on

Yes, but you could risk some of the stuff that was not hard-earned!

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

speak for yourself - but apart from the £2.60 I won on the Lotto last weekend, I've had to work hard for everything I have.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

How about we all chip in and buy one for beekeeping forum.co.uk ?
A volunteer could keep it and report back.

No need for that. Dexter's Shed has bought one and been given some extra frames so we'll hopefully have his report later in the season. I'm with Tremyfro on this - I think they've done an amazing job considering they only wanted AUD 70,000 for some new tooling for the frames and ended up with receipts of over AUD 12,000,000. They've had a few problems with production in Brisbane and USA and their well-known delivery partner has not exactly covered itself with glory but the founders do appear to be doing their best in a difficult situation. Let's remember here that these are primarily beekeepers, who have had to learn business pretty quickly. They could have cashed in their share of the company and sold out to a big industrial conglomerate. They don't appear to have done that and are riding the wave to the end and good luck to them.

An Aussi beekeeper I was talking to last week has the same concerns as me (crystalised honey) but this issue is not uncommon in New South Wales so the father and son partnership must have come across it and found a solution in the 4 years of development and testing, albeit the solution is not yet publicised - maybe they've got other things on their minds!

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

An Aussi beekeeper I was talking to last week has the same concerns as me (crystalised honey) but this issue is not uncommon in New South Wales so the father and son partnership must have come across it and found a solution in the 4 years of development and testing, albeit the solution is not yet publicised - maybe they've got other things on their minds!

CVB

Like how many suitcases they'll need to cram all the cash into and what Pacific island to settle on?

 

[Erichalfbee]

No need for that. Dexter's Shed has bought one and been given some extra frames so we'll hopefully have his report later in the season
I certainly look forward to that but Dexter's Shed seems to have abandoned this and the Flow forum

 

[Tremyfro]

The issue of OSR....will be there no matter what type of frame you use. The frames can be taken apart into panels...without too much trouble. Unlike a conventional wax comb. You could soak it in warm water...
Of course the aim always is to take your OSR honey off before it crystallises...I don't see this as any different to the situation now...with wax comb.
So timely extraction...good monitoring...with OSR....at least the frames are salvageable unlike wax comb...or you can feed back of course.
I read recently, that someone had soaked the crystallised honey out of the comb. Then checked the water content...intending to feed it back to the bees as 1:1.
JBM.....save up your winnings! If some frames come up on eBay.....there will be your chance. I haven't won anything on the lottery for ages...but then I rarely buy a ticket! You are not alone in working hard for your money.....I am retired now but worked all my life. Nowadays I wake up and remember I don't have to go to work anymore....such a glorious feeling...it makes me feel rich!

 

[Tremyfro]

No need for that. Dexter's Shed has bought one and been given some extra frames so we'll hopefully have his report later in the season
I certainly look forward to that but Dexter's Shed seems to have abandoned this and the Flow forum

He is still there but doesn't post much now....so many people were ...well to put it bluntly....nasty....and he didn't need it I suppose.
I hope he will share with us his experiences with the flow frames ....but it would serve us right if he keeps it to himself.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

No need for that. Dexter's Shed has bought one and been given some extra frames so we'll hopefully have his report later in the season
I certainly look forward to that but Dexter's Shed seems to have abandoned this and the Flow forum

Yes, I kind of noticed that - he took a bit of stick about his purchase on this forum from the usual suspects. I hope he's well and in a position to let us have a report based on UK experience when the time comes.

CVB

 

[Karol]

When I first saw the flow hive work I couldn't understand why the system defied the laws of science and not leak honey through uncapped cells under the hydrostatic pressure of the column of honey that's created when the cells are linked as the channels are opened.

Then I took a much closer look at this video again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryWC92NT2Eo

So, all you budding Sherlock's out there, have you spotted what's really going on in the video? Paul Daniels would be proud of this if it were his confidence trick!

Tell you what, for a bit of fun, there's a free bottle of plonk to the first person who can explain why the test rig set up in the video isn't flooding honey everywhere!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

clingfilm

 

[Karol]

Sorry JBM. No cling film. Multiple tries allowed by the way so feel free to have another go at winning the bottle.