I’ve tried to learn how the Flow(TM)Hive frame/system has been working for normal beekeepers. Less experienced beekeepers are sometimes extremely happy with it (until they try it) or they report leaking or other issues (which perhaps would be avoided by more experienced folks). This blog gives an honest account of one of the most obvious problems with the solid plastic fully drawn comb – bees are very reluctant to use it unless they are jammed for space (then they might swarm).
After months and months and after harvesting almost 100 pounds from regular supers, I finally got a little honey from my FlowHive super. I didn’t have the full set-up, just the frames to collect honey stores. I put my FlowHive super on a strong hive in March, just before the first nectar flow. In Central Texas, the spring nectar flow can be really hit or miss, but this year was incredible. The hive with this super started as a double-queen set-up, then, when I separated the boxes in April, this hive was deep with a medium.
They quickly outgrew the deep and medium set-up, so I moved to a double deep and moved the queen excluder to below the medium. After the last of the brood hatched from the medium box of frames, I moved it ABOVE the FlowHive super. That was the first indication of what the bees…
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