Flow Hive Success Stories?

[For want of a better word]

I kept bees in UK then 5 years ago I moved to Sydney, Australia and I’m an active member of a beekeeping club on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
One key advantage I see of the Flow hive is the ability to extract each frame individually. You can really see and taste the differences in the honey between each frame, given the bees fill the middle first and work outward, with different trees flowing, honey from Flow has more distinct flavour than traditional extraction where it’s all in a bucket together.

Giles

I know of beekeepers in Cornwall who extract single frames... ( standard BS National)... one has a shelf full of silverware to show for her efforts.

I do not see a queue of beekeepers lining up in the UK to extoll its claimed virtues.....maybe possibly it works in Australia?

 

[Ian123]

"You can really see and taste the differences in the honey between each frame, given the bees fill the middle first and work outward, with different trees flowing, honey from Flow has more distinct flavour than traditional extraction where it’s all in a bucket together."

What a load of hype........you do that in a standard type hive with the production of comb honey....Its like me saying a small piece of comb honey contains more specific nectar than a whole plastic frame and produces a distinct taste.. hardly an advantage of a flow

 

[For want of a better word]

What a load of hype.....

But sales worldwide must bring in considerable tax revenue for the Australian Government...... but the honey money must be bitter sweet when they think of the tax do they loose to the Chinese knock off copies?

 

[Pennyfold Bees]

What a load of hype........you do that in a standard type hive with the production of comb honey...... hardly an advantage of a flow

It’s not hype it’s just easier at least for a single frame to have honey in a jar. Sure you could extract a single frame from traditional frame but extracting one frame in a three frame extractor is pretty unbalanced [emoji23]

I won’t be buying a flow, but for some people the (perceived) easier honey extraction method is worth the money.

 

[Pennyfold Bees]

I do not see a queue of beekeepers lining up in the UK to extoll its claimed virtues.....maybe possibly it works in Australia?

Our club certainly doesn’t extol it’s virtues. We try to present a balanced perspective of all hives types and generally steer newbees to a traditional Langstroth (most common here). However some people are set on getting a particular hive be that Warre, Top bar or Flow.

If you slam people that are determined to buy a flow, they will stop coming club meetings, won’t learn good beekeeping practices. I want good beekeepers in my neighbourhood, so their bees don’t harbour disease which mine then pick up when they get weak.

 

[Ian123]

But sales worldwide must bring in considerable tax revenue for the Australian Government...... but the honey money must be bitter sweet when they think of the tax do they loose to the Chinese knock off copies?

The AUS gov will make more money from the sale of water coolers to the mining industry than that of flow hives

 

[Ian123]

It’s not hype it’s just easier at least for a single frame to have honey in a jar. Sure you could extract a single frame from traditional frame but extracting one frame in a three frame extractor is pretty unbalanced [emoji23]

I won’t be buying a flow, but for some people the (perceived) easier honey extraction method is worth the money.

who said anything about extracting I said comb honey.....save the world don’t use jars

 

[Finman]

The AUS gov will make more money from the sale of water coolers to the mining industry than that of flow hives

Governement is selling them?

 

[JazzJPH]

Our club certainly doesn’t extol it’s virtues. We try to present a balanced perspective of all hives types and generally steer newbees to a traditional Langstroth (most common here). However some people are set on getting a particular hive be that Warre, Top bar or Flow.

If you slam people that are determined to buy a flow, they will stop coming club meetings, won’t learn good beekeeping practices. I want good beekeepers in my neighbourhood, so their bees don’t harbour disease which mine then pick up when they get weak.

That's pretty sound reasoning. I'll ask about it at my association when I'm on the course.

 

[Marciecbr]

I'm the relative with the flow hives.
Now just for the bees. I was talking to a bee keeper of 40years and he said the most time consuming part was the extraction hence the automatic frame ideas. Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons I wonder peoples thoughts on other Automatic style supers such as the Ross round system for comb honey?

Thanks Jazz for starting this thread, interesting reading.

 

[mintmoth]

who said anything about extracting I said comb honey.....save the world don’t use jars

If you are selling your comb honey, what do you put it in if you don't use jars?
Plastic boxes?

 

[Hivemaker.]

If you are selling your comb honey, what do you put it in if you don't use jars?
Plastic boxes?

The frames the bees build it in.

 

[Madge]

...Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons I wonder peoples thoughts on other Automatic style supers such as the Ross round system for comb honey? ...

What is automatic about Ross rounds?

 

[Marciecbr]

The Ross round system seems to be a easy way to take comb honey without disturbing the bees, as the cartridges eject within their plastic containers, no cutting or mess and single rounds can be taken not a whole frame.

I'm all for not opening hives unnecessarily as far as I've learnt at clubs this stops the queen laying for a few days and causes fluctuations in temp etc.

Just wondered if there had been any UK use of the system. Thanks

 

[Ian123]

Don’t believe all the hype, with a calm bee many queens will continue to lay on the frame whilst you stand there and watch, and foragers will return and leave also whilst you inspect. So whilst needless inspections are not required the simple fact is well managed hives will out perform those left alone. Ross rounds have been around for many years

 

[Poly Hive]

Cut comb is nice and simple.

Ross rounds work reasonably well but are far from automatic? What ejection? However, they are a bit of a fiddle to set up. So I no longer use them and have opted for CC only. Tools needed? Frame, thin foundation, template and knife.

PH

 

[colinc]

I'm the relative with the flow hives.
Now just for the bees. I was talking to a bee keeper of 40years and he said the most time consuming part was the extraction.

Not sure about that. Up to 6 months of weekly inspections vs 1-3 extractions in the year, depending on crop, amount of supers...?

 

[Marciecbr]

Cut comb is nice and simple.

Ross rounds work reasonably well but are far from automatic? What ejection? However, they are a bit of a fiddle to set up.

PH

So you find cut comb a simple way to get comb, was their any benefit to the Ross round system?

May I ask what what was a fiddle? Thankyou

 

[Marciecbr]

Don’t believe all the hype, with

the simple fact is well managed hives will out perform those left alone.

That's the problem a lot of misinformation and opinions around. Thanks though.

What would you consider well managed as far as inspections are concerned?

On the topic of flow hives - has anyone used the Chinese automatic flow hives with any success?