Ok. So. Im new, but have a general understanding of bee keeping, as it its not totally foreign.
I bought the Flow Hive (honey on tap) product via indigogo.... http://www.honeyflow.com/
---They are the hight of deep frames. I am getting enough for a 8 frame box
Now, the hive 'kit' from my local supplier is two deep boxes, 1 medium box.
SO What I am wondering is if it is foolish of me to use 1 deep and 1 medium as my brood boxes, and then (with the special Flow system) use the 2nd deep box as my honey super.
Is that absolutely a bad idea? Or does that sound like it might work. Or maybe it is worth a shot. I realize that some of you might just laugh right off the bat because I am looking to use my Flow system. Maybe it wont work right....maybe it will. I figured its worth a shot.
-Scott
I just read about the Flow? system. It is interesting if it really works, so please let us know.
If you have two Flow? deep boxes, I would use one regular deep and a medium for brood (as the bees will put brood in the center of their area) and use the Flow? for your supper. If the flow is good in your area, you might be able to use the second Flow? box as a second supper otherwise you could have two hives set up the same way.
Good luck and again please keep us posted with your results of this Flow? system. -Mike
It works from what I have read and I don't see any problem with what you are proposing. Good Luck. Enjoy your bees. G
Im sorry, I should clarify. I have 2 deep and 1 medium boxes, and the frames as usual.
I have enough Flow frames for one deep box.
Was thinking (as the hive grows)
FFFFFFFFFF---Flow Super (in a deep box)
MMMMMMM--Medium Brood
DDDDDDDD--Deep Brood
Maybe a queen separator between the Flow and the lower boxes?
Im excited to see how it works out.
Now, Is that generally something that bees should be able to do in one season? Im starting with a 4 or 5 frame NUC in mid may. That doesn't seem like too much space? Or too little? Should I do a single deep brood and then the Flow deep box as a super? that is probably too little brood space?
Im really sorry for all of the questions... I'm rather nervous and anxious and excited :smile: :happy: :embarassed: :cool:
You said enough flow frames for an eight frame box so it sounds as if all your equipment is 8 frame. And since the flow frames are deeps that narrows it down.... So yes run the deep and medium as brood cambers or get another eight frame deep. No that is not too much space for brood and maybe not enough for your area?
There are a lot of issues not know yet about running the flow hives. They will have to be worked out and shared as it progresses. Running an excluder in-between may not be a bad Idea. I imagine a good one cause I and as far as anyone else knows I guess, have no idea if the queen would try and lay in it. Geeze what a mess that could be. Then adding an excluder if you don't stay on top of it could add to swam issues. And are you going to just add the flow box above the brood chambers after filled right away or allow the bees to draw some supers of honey for themselves that you would leave later?
When are your frames due to arrive, will you even have them this bee season? We are listening to you to learn :wink: You may want to join the flow hive group on fb?
Yes, everything will be 8 frame, not 10. I wanted a smaller footprint.
Im excited to share what I learn early on with the Flow frames.
I will get the Flow frames in June (or so they say). I was one of the first backers, day 1, so i got super early delivery.
I was planning on running it all as usual, add the second brood box after most of the 1st is full. Then I was going to add the Flow frames after their 2nd "pantry broodbox" was 75 percent full, as if adding a standard honey super.
Im talking to my local bee supply store, maybe I can just get 3 deep supers, rather then 2 deep and a medium. Not sure yet. Im worried that am 8 frame Deep and an 8 frame medium wont be enough for the brood.
If you haven't already bought the kit, you might want to rethink it. Anybody have an opinion on that? Good luck with your bees, Outlier. We're relying on you to let us know all about the Flow Hive. And no, you're not being stupid, by any means.
Quote from: YpsiBee2015 on April 09, 2015, 05:30:34 PM
Im talking to my local bee supply store, maybe I can just get 3 deep supers, rather then 2 deep and a medium. Not sure yet. Im worried that am 8 frame Deep and an 8 frame medium wont be enough for the brood.
IMHO, yes three 8 deeps would be better. And what do local beeks winter with in your area. I see you are in Mi. I would think at least two deep 10 framers so two deep 8's is probably not enough. I have seen the conversion math as in space of how many deep eight to deep tens to mediums etc. But can not quote it as I don't use it. If two deeps is what your local beeks run for brood what about honey stores over winter?
Are three deep 8 frames, not counting the flow hive going to be enough? And my reference to stores. I would have the total hive build-up as in all its brood and stores before I ever considered adding the flow box, IMHO. That could possibly not even be first season from a scratch start. I do not thin a lot of neewbees realize that :embarassed:
So you see a lot of questions to be addresses and answered. I don't want to make this a criticism thread and hope all keep it positive but these are some of the question folks realize new beeks will not understand or even think of.
This link may already be on the site somewhere....
http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/321wo6/iama_we_are_stuart_and_cedar_anderson_the/
I had 2 deep 8s going into winter in Dallas this year and was afraid of losing them before the last cold spelll, so I'd go with more rather than less, plus you're getting a bit of a late start. I wouldn't count on honey harvesting this year, but who knows?
It's a great adventure, though, so enjoy it.
My 8-frame actually made it through stronger than a 10-frame that looked stronger last fall, so you never know.
(http://i59.tinypic.com/2ivbe60.png)
My bk'd bud regularly overwinters July starts in a single deep. BUT, he feeds till they won't take anymore in the fall and puts sugar brick on.
The only trouble is he's got 30 years under his belt and I'm still freaked about letting my hives go into winter in a single, because most of the time the cluster is at the top of two deeps in spring.
That said it can be done with a deep and a medium in Michigan, but do your homework.
If I was in Michigan: I would run my hives after the model of Michael Palmer in upper Lake Champagne Valley, Vermont. Two ten frame deeps and one medium. This is on a production hives being over wintered.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :smile:
I'm interested to see what Michael Bush says to this thread, as he did their USA testing
You need lots of bees to make a good surplus of honey.
Using 8 frame equipment, I would have 2 deep boxes for brood.
Would not use a queen excluder, from what I understand is the queen will not lay in the cells in the honey flow system.
good luck with your new honey flow.
>I bought the Flow Hive (honey on tap) product via indigogo.... http://www.honeyflow.com/
>---They are the hight of deep frames. I am getting enough for a 8 frame box
>Now, the hive 'kit' from my local supplier is two deep boxes, 1 medium box.
>SO What I am wondering is if it is foolish of me to use 1 deep and 1 medium as my brood boxes, and then (with the special Flow system) use the 2nd deep box as my honey super.
I would use the two mediums (plus one more) for the brood and the flow hive for the supers.
>Is that absolutely a bad idea?
Why the deep?
>Or does that sound like it might work. Or maybe it is worth a shot. I realize that some of you might just laugh right off the bat because I am looking to use my Flow system. Maybe it wont work right....maybe it will. I figured its worth a shot.
Interchangeability is nice, but the flow hive frames are not interchangeable with anything, so that goes out the window. It has it's advantages, but interchangeability is not one of them.
From what I have read on the Flow site the Flow frames are wider and you can only fit 7 in a 10 frame super