how does one determine what is a heavy flow?

[rawfind]

This was asked in a different topic im in but i thought it might help others if a new topic was started.

How do i know what a heavy flow is? 
is it heaps of flowers on trees?
or just heaps of honey coming in?
forgive my ignorance im still learning and havnt collected much yet re Neil

[BeeMaster2]

If you are in your hives and take a frame of nectar, not a capped frame, lay it flat and give it a shake. If your shoes get sprinkled, you have a flow on. This also shows up on the brood frames because they are constantly replacing the honey around the brood because it is used for feeding brood.
Jim

[OzBuzz]

I wouldn't mind a heavy flow of anything hahah...

But in all seriousness! It's basically where, from what I understand, your frames are simply getting filled rapidly and where there is more coming in than is being consumed! so basically, again from what i understand, chuck heaps of boxes on when a flow is happening because the nectar will pour in and then, as the flow dies down, the excess will be ripen in to honey which you can potentially extract

[AllenF]

When you have to put 2 honey supers or more on a hive a week, that is a heavy flow. 

[rawfind]

When you have to put 2 honey supers or more on a hive a week, that is a heavy flow. 

Now that would be nice ! i can see why we are called beekeepers and not honey keepers.... im having plenty of luck keeping the bees
just still waiting on that flow ive heard all about, i think this year could be it, most of my hives have some honey but a lot of brood being made too, im guessing that a lot of what they are bringing in is going towards making new cells and to raise the young, is there a point where the colony will level out and really focus on making stores???

[bernsad]

is there a point where the colony will level out and really focus on making stores???

I've ben wondering that myself. The girls seem pretty busy, they're in and out all day, but there's just not a lot of honey building up yet.

[Lone]

This is the North Queensland definition.
Heavy flow: At least one frame of capped honey within 12 months.
Light flow: Capped honey within 5 years.
Bad state of affairs: No honey in the hive and you have to buy capilano.

Lone

[Birdswood]

At long last Lone. A definitive definition we can all use as a guide!!!  :-D :laugh: :-D

[Lone]

Definitely it's a definite definitive definition.

[Geoff]

        Are you sure it's a definite definitive definition Lone ?

[Lone]

Define "definition".  

Anyway, you mexicans winge if you don't get to extract a full hive every 10 days and if the lemon scented pink flowering gum doesn't flower at least once a month.

Lone

[bernsad]

I spoke to a beek in the Tambourine region last week who is pulling a box every 3 weeks at the moment. That sounded pretty good to me.

[Lone]

Where is the Tambourine region, Berny?

Lone

[bernsad]

In back of the Gold Coast, around Mt. Tambourine and the Green Mountains. She was just off the road to O'Reillys Guesthouse

[Mek]

Ohh good I am an hour or so away from there.

[Lone]

You'd better get cracking then, Mek.  Have you finished the beetle trap yet?

Lone

[Mek]

no... been pretty slack...

[ozbee]

 it does happen up here lone just not in the same place every year.  lucky thing is you have a area half the size of America to look around in your back yard before you bump into another beekeeper. just the fuel bill will drive you broke finding it .

[Lone]

it does happen up here lone just not in the same place every year.  lucky thing is you have a area half the size of America to look around in your back yard before you bump into another beekeeper. just the fuel bill will drive you broke finding it .

I guess the honey flow is going to depend entirely on how good those Ayr queens are.  

We'd travel 6 hours for a loaf of bread in nth qld, but you could wear down a set of tyres and still not see a flower.  :-\

Lone

[rawfind]

it does happen up here lone just not in the same place every year.  lucky thing is you have a area half the size of America to look around in your back yard before you bump into another beekeeper. just the fuel bill will drive you broke finding it .

I guess the honey flow is going to depend entirely on how good those Ayr queens are.  

We'd travel 6 hours for a loaf of bread in nth qld, but you could wear down a set of tyres and still not see a flower.  :-\

Lone

thats too funny Lone, maybe i should be a queensland baker instead of a victorian beekeeper