Honey Bee Keeping and Flow Hive Frequently Asked Questions Answered FAQ Bees #ONE

In this video I respond to 18 most frequently asked Honeybee Keeping related questions I've received on KZbin. Some are from beginning beekeepers and others are from viewers with questions about FlowHives.
Flow Hive Discount Link for $50 off mbsy.co/hpFB2
If you like this question and answer format, please consider posting your questions down in the comments section. I may do this again and will then respond to the top-ten posted questions.
I know it's long, but I felt that you could just come back later and maybe watch it in sections.
My responses are based on many years of photographing and video documenting honeybee behaviors and also 12 years of apiary ownership.
Thank you to those who asked so many interesting and thoughtful questions, I've responded to those which have been asked by three or more people.

[@Adam.Holmes.]

1. Where to get bees? 2:02 2. How much honey for winter? 3:50 3. Winter prepping with flow frames? 5:48 4. Electric fence around beehives? 9:50 5. What kind of water to give to bees? 14:00 6. Is it to cold for flow hives? 17:25 7. Do you prep flow frames? 19:44 8. What do you do for year round food for your bees? 21:28 9. Why do you keep bees? 26:15 10. How long will the flow frames last? 29:15 11. Do you use queen excluders? Upper entrances?(NOTE. Fred no longer uses upper entrances) 33:29 12. Personal Protective Clothing? 37:55 13. Where to put your beehive? 41:30 14. How many hives should you have? 43:58 15. Thoughts on useful hedges around apiary? 46:19 16. Do bees like flow frames to store honey? 48:06 17. Mouse guard or trap? 49:31

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Adam!!!

[@Adam.Holmes.]

@@FrederickDunn no problem. I'm going to rewatch through the playlist so I'll try and tag what I can. Ive learned a lot in my first year. I'm sure I'll catch a few things I missed on the first watch.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@Adam.Holmes. I really do appreciate all the time and effort! These are a big bonus for the podcast listeners also. :)

[@andrewmallard2301]

@@Adam.Holmes. Really great effort and to have Fred's thoughts indexed, is definitely the Way To go (Bee)

[@sgtusmc2111]

Brave man "Sometime I go out there with nothing but a a cup of a coffee." Love that. LOL...

[@FrederickDunn]

There are many interpretations... (';')( ';')...

[@sgtusmc2111]

Yes however there's a certain mental picture painted by that statement, Once seen can't be unseen.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@sgtusmc2111 For the curious, there is a naked beekeeping organization... I am not a member (';')( ';')

[@LarryLeesBees]

Fred, I really have enjoyed your videos. I have marathoned all of your new videos and have gone back to watch your chicken and other videos. Anyone that thinks your in this for just the honey, clearly have not been following your channel. I find a parallel between the negativity of the flowhive and digital cameras. When I was in college 30 years ago for my photography degree, we were shooting in film and developing our film. At the time there was so much negativity almost hostility towards digital photography. The belief at the time was “real photographers use film.” And “digital photography is a fad that won’t last.” 30 years later ALL my equipment is digital. The Flow system gets a lot of the same kind of hate... It’s a fad. It won’t work. It will harm the bees. The plastic is bad for us and the bees... And currently, there is no science to back these statements up, this negativity is all rubbish. Thanks for your continued informative content in all your videos. I am retired Army and have been researching bees and learning everything I can about bees for about 4 years now. And much like the state inspector who told you to just do it, I listened to you and others, have done it. I have ordered my bees which will be here in April, I have ordered my hives which should be here in the next couple of weeks. And finally I have registered for the basic bee keepers class in February and am looking forward to it. Thanks again for all you do, you are definitely an inspiration to those of us new to the world of bees. Larry

[@charger440]

So many beekeepers are in for the honey instead of it’s Noble vocation. You Sir,are a true beekeeper Ambassador and also,blessed with knowledge!

[@robertmalis4493]

I don’t have a question right now but please keep doing the Q & A i really enjoy your knowledge of bees in their behavior if I wasn’t so allergic to stings I to would have my own hives

[@B3RG3RS0N]

Hear! Hear!

[@B3RG3RS0N]

There is specific Linden tree honey in places where nothing else blooms at the same time. Very good very expensive. You are spot on with Linden trees lots of nectar and pollen very valuable resource for bees(and beekeepers). I always thought that it was common knowledge.

[@michaelhall7921]

Frederick So nice to see you are the first one to say you've changed your mind if you see something your doing or have done needs modification to better a situation. We will be taking off the newfangled Flow super as soon as the 'decline' starts. I just hope there is enough room for them to keep happy till they have to get ready for winter. I hope I don't have to grab the Queen excluder in a hurry!

[@mjgbabydragonlet]

My house is getting so used to hearing your videos. I was asked by my stepfather (retired Master Chief with Dementia) "Where is the bee guy?" today... Your videos help him get calm when he is frustrated and does not know why. So we are learning and enjoying you being so generous to share your knowledge freely. So now I have the bee suit on my wish list, he has your weather station on his! Even when I am at my computer doing research, Your videos are my tablet providing me with something interesting while I am digging through source material on something completely unrelated. With so much admiration and Respect, MJG (in Norfolk VA)

[@FrederickDunn]

That makes me soooo happy, Please tell the Master Chief that this Chief says hello and I wish him fair winds and following seas :) So glad he enjoys listening! It would be great if we actually knew each other from our years in the Navy :)

[@mjgbabydragonlet]

@@FrederickDunn the Master Chief retired in 1974. He is 89.

[@FrederickDunn]

Did you enjoy this? Here is my NEXT FAQ Honey video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2WtkqqjjJ1gnZo

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Yes.. going to watch the entire list!

[@mohammadsalah3319]

Super amazing video thank you very much

[@thinless4439]

Love the way you present these videos.

[@shaunroberts9361]

Yes. Going to watch eatch VLOG. Very good stuff for sure.

[@pathowlett4332]

Fredrick - took me all of about 1 video of yours to decide you can help me. Thanks!!

[@tonyt.1596]

This video was very helpful. Where I live we don't have a viable bee club so KZbin is one of my sources for bee keeping education. Thank you Fred.

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm so glad! and I hope you find a mentor some day that is local.

[@Huntnlady7]

Have you done an informational video on "walk-away splits"? I did them in the past; always ending up with 3 hives after splitting one jam-packed brood box and deep super. So many people have told me, "the bees just went back into the original hive", or "the splits failed". I don't understand how they failed; in the past I have had 100% success with splits. But that was when I lived in CA. Now that I live in NM, I need to refresh my memory before I split. Can you help me with that? Thanks for your scientific approach to beekeeping. It is truly refreshing to follow a Beeker that does not simply relate old wives' tales, or only concentrate on making profit. God Bless You greatly, Fred.

[@FrederickDunn]

Walk-away splits are my preferred and most used method. I've done several videos showing that method and we'll do more of them this year so others can see how they are done. I've never had one fail. :) So, we're on the same page.

[@andrewmallard2301]

been watching for some while, now, Fred, so just had to go back to No. 1.

[@weasleoop]

Fred you are absolutely right about the Linden tree. Hands down trees provide way more resources. I started with three hives when I first started bee keeping.

[@lorrainelietz4384]

I have been watching your videos for awhile! You are so helpful! How in the heck did I miss out on video one!! Dummy me!! This one is SOO Worth watching Many Many times! And I will!! Thank You!!

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Lorraine, thank you so much for taking a moment to comment and share how you're liking my tutorials :) I really do appreciate it!

[@PolitePlayer]

A bit late to the party, but damm, you are a fantastic orator. Grade A speaking.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@shaunroberts9361]

Wow. This channel is awesome. Thank you.

[@FrederickDunn]

Welcome and thank you! :)

[@jod6045]

It's refreshing to see knowledge shared based on systematic observation, with frequent reference to the SCIENCE and without judgement of differing knowledge, in other words openness to new possibilities. I have been following the Flow Hive company's journey since 2016 but only ordered my first one today (yes I do a LOT of research before putting my toe in the water). What I have seen too much of in my research is haters suffering from sour grapes and tall poppy syndrome, spreading cynicism and criticising Flow Hives just because they challenge the time-honoured status quo, frequently without actually having tried the product, or tried it as intended. Also petty and spiteful references to the inventors of Flow having'ripped off' some other patent from the 1800s! It would be rare for any new development to materialise without having observed what went before and improving on it. Otherwise we'd all still be driving round in Model T Fords! People are entitled to close their minds to new possibilities if they are content with their system, but to actively sabotage innovation is another level of nasty. Presumably all are in it for the love of bees from one perspective or another, what's it to one person how another chooses to operate? That's been my disappointing impression of the industry, so thank-you Frederick for showing some decorum and giving balanced rational points of view so people can make an informed choice.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hello Jo! Thank you for such a comprehensive and "spot-on" comment! So glad you are here! I've carefully reviewed the patent that so many claim has been "robbed" by the Anderson family. It's not even close and most who claim is it, have never reviewed the technical drawings. Thank you.

[@julieenslow5915]

Frederick, I totally loved this. The format is very good, I would not change a thing. In future videos, I would love it if (when your observations are complete) you would share the results of current research. I don't know that I can be more specific because you may not tell what you are researching, and I am reasonably confident there are always things you are researching. If I have something I would like researched, I will put in a request (which seems a little presumptive on my part, but you did invite such requests so I feel enabled).

[@bbqridge]

Another great video Fred. I hope you do some more.

[@donovan3476]

Glad I found your channel. As I have gotten older, I realize there is so much more to learn.

[@stevebachman6661]

One bit of anecdotal advice I have been given regarding mice is that they hate mint of all types. I will be planting mint all around my hives to see if it keeps the field mice out - we have a lot that come into our back yard to clean up after our backyard chicken flock at night. I know this, because the dang dog catches them and brings them inside sometimes! Have you ever heard anything about mint plants keeping mice away? I know you're not big on anecdotes, but I am curious to see if this works for my hives is that something you would want me to let you know to try out?

[@FrederickDunn]

The only problems with mice and they are rare, is when winter sets in. How strong would the mint deterrent be when the plant goes dormant for winter? The good news is that mint plantings can't hurt :) The motion cameras at night would show what the activity is.

[@wadekolbe1559]

Just started watching great info!!! going to watch all of them. Mr. Dunn keep the very good working going. Thank you very much!!!

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Wade! I'm so glad you'll be watching. If you have any questions, please feel free to post.

[@FrederickDunn]

CORRECTION: Regarding the Linden Tree nectar load - Should have been 1,100 - 1,200 pounds of nectar per acre NOT per tree. Recommended viewing kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3qQmmCXn5hnjMU

[@myogdenrow]

Frederick Dunn Very interesting and informative presentation ... thank you for your effort. G. Miller

[@TheMetatron4444]

Thank you so much for the information and your dedication to bee knowledge.

[@Mlle-Cluesss]

Just found your channel and really appreciating learning from you! Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. 😊

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Christine and welcome! :)

[@sting1111]

I am one of those that think your videos are fantastically well done and professional no matter the length.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@416dl]

Very Helpful, and with our new FlowHive2 now occupied and seemingly ready for the super to be added here in central Illinois following a cold spring, things are lookin' good thanks to the kind of confidence and insights from your experience and sharing. Kinda wishing we had another hive and maybe next year we will. Got my first sting a couple of weeks ago so not quite ready to sit out watching will nothing more than a cup of coffee...but the weather is getting nicer. Thanks again. Cheers. Doug (Not the Astronaut)

[@flygirlhoney_]

Really helpful and a nice synopsis of things you have done. Would love more Q&A videos especially when nothing much is going on with the bees. I laughed out loud when you said the bit about getting a sweet video of the bear destroying your apiary. 😁

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much! There is already a second FAQ posted :) AND there will be another after that :)

[@johnhawes1927]

Thank you for the video, it was very helpful. I will be watching for your next Q&A video. John

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you so much! I have six questions already on my list, was there a question you were hoping that I would address? Much appreciated!

[@kennith.]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I am going to try work through all the FAQ.

[@FrederickDunn]

You're welcome and I'm glad you're here!

[@wayne-oo]

Very well done ! Looking forward to more soon !

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Wayne, there are already three FAQ videos in this series :)

[@loralogudice2557]

Thank-you Mr Dunn, the best vid answered so many questions I had. Doing my first bee hives this spring , got my flow hive 2 for Christmas (great husband) and will be following your set up. Can't wait a little nervous and excited all in one, was going to do only one hive. Have a nuc ordered but now I'm getting a package also to compare great advise. Thanks again Lora

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you, Lora, I did this video for people just like YOU! I hope all goes well for you and if you're getting another flowhive or flow-super, if you use the link in this video description, you get $50 off and I get $50 off of my next purchase :)

[@Kiki-fe2le]

Wow your videos are amazing! Thank you for your love of bees

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! :)

[@theresamcpherson7352]

Hello Fred! It's November now, how did I miss this? Thank you again for making this video and all your other ones. I learn so much from you, you have a fantastic teaching style! I look forward to seeing what's next! Yes, please keep this type of Q&A coming, it is very helpful! Thank you, T.McPherson

[@tomthorson7467]

Fred I really appreciated the part about what you do for winter prep with the Flow Hive. I recently bought a 6 frame 1st gen flow hive. I will have to build a medium super or 2 with the reduced length to use on top of the brood box as you suggested. Dampness is the winter problem here in coastal BRitish Columbia so I will tilt the hive slightly forward and leave an opening in the inner cover. Thanks again!k

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Tom, since you have the first FlowHive Design, please take extra time to really REALLY seal that roof from the weather. This past winter, I had the roof leak during a heavy storm and enough water got in to completely kill off the colony. It looked ok from the outside, but the wood is so soaked that it's still drying out after two weeks in my work shop. I wish I had used house paint on the roof instead of stain/varnish.

[@davegrandeffo330]

@@FrederickDunn Thanks for the advice about weatherizing the Flowhive. I am contemplating getting one and would have assumed that it was ready to use. I live in SW Wisconsin next to the Mississippi so moisture is a way of life around here.

[@anthonymiller6187]

I really enjoy all your work..good job..thank you

[@kayallen7603]

Electrified chain link, maybe? Set well away from anything of interest to a bear and run the current under the ground in a plastic pipe. Mineral salt, wow! Interesting. Thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Kay, you can have chain link, but then run electric wire clips on the exterior for the current including that critical top wire. And yes, you can run electrical conduit underground out to the fence and charge the circuit from inside a garage or outbuilding. Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@Peter-od7op]

I loved this video you ans so many of my ? Iam going to get a flow hive for sure and my brother said he will make a regular hive so I can compare.. Also Like you said 2 hives best...

[@Vladviking]

Ahh the first video finally I shall keep them in order now. Off the cuff I'm thinking any bear that is going to the trouble with a beehive is really not going to think much about a couple shocks from a fence if they are really hungry.

[@sting1111]

Your videos are top notch

[@DavidODuvall]

About the bee suit protection. I always wear a vale because you never know that if you sneeze or cough it might alarm the bees. It may sound crazy but, my bees seem to know me and will sting a stranger and not me. Best to be safe and not sorry.

[@FrederickDunn]

Great Point David! And yes, I can walk around out there with no response from the bees and then have a visitor and they get stung which makes for a bad first experience. Now, I pass out veils to all visitors just in case. Even my wife can't walk out there without picking up a guard. Who knows why... maybe perfume? And yes, stay safe.

[@millennialseeker7639]

Hi, Fred. Yes! I just finished watching a couple of hours of your videos, and I enjoy them very much. I would love to keep bees. Now I am disabled and live in senior housing, so I don't have the option, but though I am extremely allergic to flying insect stings, I really love bees. I think they are fascinating. I love learning about them. I find your videos highly engaging. I am also a photographer, though I have had some salt on my tail for a few years now. When I was in high school (at least a few weeks ago) I used to help a neighbor to hot-knife and extract honey with a centrifugal extractor. He left me several books about bees, which I read with great interest, and I expect I have remembered most of what I read. Thanks very much for your contribution to those that have a real interest in bees. Steve -- in the Great Pacific Northwest

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Steve, thank you for such a nice comment and welcome to my channel! I'm thrilled to know that you are spending so much time enjoying my videos. I also enjoy the old farm series books and collect bee and chicken educational books, some are over 100 years old. In truth, where honey bee management is concerned, not much has changed. I'm thankful to Rev Langstroth for his hive design. We are living in a wonderful time of sharing information and experiences worldwide as never before. All the best to you!

[@millennialseeker7639]

@@FrederickDunn Thanks, Fred! I couldn t possibly agree more. If I had to pick a "best time" to be disabled in, this would be it! THe Internet (and especially KZbin) has added a remarkable dimension to my life in recent years. Thanks in no small part to folks like you!

[@MikeChamplin]

Thanks so much for sharing your passion and knowledge without judging...simply informing and being inquisitive is refreshing. Beginner here and I found a state (Indiana) association and signed up for their Beginner classes next month - but I need to order all my hive stuff now or will end up waiting another year(?). I'm planning to build my 1st hive using a 10 frame Deep Langstroth base (brood) box then add a Medium - and then followed by a 7 Frame Flow Hive Super. As this will be my 1st attempt - Do I just populate the Deep box and wait to add the others later - or put the Deep & Medium together right away and then add the Super later once everything is doing well and built out? And do you prefer Boxed bees or getting a Nuc? Thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm so glad you've enjoyed this Q & A - your planned setup sounds good. Yes, place the deep/brood box and allow the bees to build up before adding the next box. You want them so settle the brood area, if you add another box too soon, they may move the brood up too soon and the bottom of your deep will remain unused. If you haven't purchased that Flow-Super yet, there is a link in the video description which will save you $50 and I also get $50 towards more flow gear for my apiary :) I hope you have a great first year... and, between purchasing a Nuc or Package Bees, the fastest build-up of your colony will come from the Nucleus hive. Brood hatches right away and your colony is in full production immediately. Package bees need to build up comb and get acquainted with their Queen, so there is normally a 28-30 day gap before that "package" colony produces new worker bees, while the nuc will have been producing through that entire period.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Thanks for making these a playlist.. Looking forward to learning from these! I know you are FULL of excellent knowledge. Edit: 25:00 YES! Linden Trees are Amazing Sources! I have seen the bees just swarming in Linden Trees! This is such an excellent video! I think the REAL problem with plastics is the hormone mimicking (estrogen especially) compounds they release. That said, PTE and a few others are supposed to be better. So a question to investigate this further might be, what do the hormone levels test out at compared to anon-plastic hive?

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks so much! Always nice to see your comments!

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Always love your info... very detailed and well explained!

[@58Kym]

Today I saw a short small bee with a blue butt visiting flowers so when I got to my computer I looked it up. Apparently it is a native stingless bee here in Australia and there were about 6 types. Very pretty with a metallic aqua blue butt. It is a group being investigated as a possible enclosed tomato field pollinator. I also read somewhere that young linden flowers can be added to brewing tea as a soothing medicinal cough suppressant.

[@FrederickDunn]

That is wonderful and also true about the Linden tea. Side-note about tomatoes, honeybees cannot pollinate them, they are exclusively pollinated by native bees that can perform the necessary vibrations (bumble bees) or get deep inside (mason/orchard bees). it's a magical natural world :)

[@58Kym]

I am not sure what kind of large bees we may have here like bumblebees. Something else to google! We must have something or perhaps the tiny native bees do the tomato job.

[@Misssssysparkles]

Blue bsnded bee idk how it got there from australia -we have loads of native bees mostly stingless the only problem is they dont produce a lot of honey about 1 kg (2:2lbs) yearly -there is a growing trend to keep these especially if u hsve children and the honey fetches premium prices -their hives in nature are beautiful

[@Misssssysparkles]

I love ur product reviews i love all ur vids IMO an empty box with foundation will attract hive moth - I dont think i will ever know everything about bees even if i live to a million years old they are soooooo fascinating Happy New Year Mr Dunn

[@FrederickDunn]

It's true that wax moths will certainly move right into an empty brood/swarm box if it has drawn wax comb in it. You can instead, put Acorn heavy waxed frames in those swarm traps without the risk of messy wax moths :) Always great to see your comments Missy!

[@Misssssysparkles]

@@FrederickDunn idk if i can get acorn heavy frames here i just stick them in the freezer if they have drawn comb and make sure they freeze to death lol in ur case i probs stick them outside ty for all ur fascinating info sometimes i lurk lol

[@tommyfelix6283]

Thank you for the Q&A. Can you do a review on. Big Shrimpy Beehive winter insulation. I would like to see how many deep 10 it will cover or how many super plus one deep it will cover.

[@henryb.8005]

Solid information, thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you Henry!

[@derrickmeaghers1216]

great post thanks Fred look forward to more my colonies here in the Pacific Northwest are doing real good abnormally warm though I put my bees away with around 12 deep frames filled with honey I checked them a week ago and they're still loaded with honey so I'm looking forward having a good healthy colonies when the maple bloom and we get into the Blackberry bloom

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Derrick, thank you! Sounds like you may have a fantastic honeybee year there. Our bees tend to do well around here through December/January/February and then as March hits lots of beekeepers report last-minute die-offs. Hopefully, that won't happen this year. What time of year do you get those bloom cycles? Thanks for watching and commenting :)

[@derrickmeaghers1216]

Frederick Dunn we get the maple starting in late March but the wild strawberries and the Dandy Lions will be in March blackberries will be kicking in somewhere around middle of May I have to lb of actual pollen not pollen patties in the freezer waiting see what happens I was expecting a bad winter normally we hit single digit and below zero for three weeks didn't happen this year oh and as far as Critters go I lost a colony last year due to a gray squirrel just tearing it up in the hive don't ask me how it did it and then the other stronger colonies went to Rob them my nice cannoli and queen such a gentle lady she looked at with Herbert with a hole colony I was so upset so this year I'm trying out a bunch of different hives I go through blue sky and I get the polystyrene hives made from Finland from B world and I didn't have to wrap my hives or anything they're going strong

[@LarryLeesBees]

Derrick, I am also in the Pacific Northwest. This has been an unusually warm winter... I expect the yellow jackets will be heavy this year, Set your traps early. I am actually new to bee keeping. Been studying for several years and finally getting my hives and bees this spring. Any advice would be most appreciated. I also have maples, raspberry bushes, plums strawberries and lavender. But I know the bees will have to go further out than just my little spot for additional pollen and nectar.

[@derrickmeaghers1216]

Larry Cameron on this property we use two different containers to catch yellow jackets they're both about 12 in wide 24 in Long and 3 in deep use two boards that are 2in wide 2 and 1/2 in wide and I smear canned cat food then I invert the boards which means going upside down over soapy water bayous just cheap dishwashing liquid and for the last few years we've been catching maybe 300 yellow jackets and Bald Faced Hornet today and thank God I haven't seen European wasps will be going with for traps this year because it was abnormally warm winter hope this helps you and anyone else that reads also I've gotten back into beekeeping I used to have 11 colonies strong 20 years ago but being a much younger man then with a family I had to work two three jobs a week I had no time for the B's now that I'm retired I got back into it and I'm having a blast

[@LarryLeesBees]

Derrick, Thanks for the info on the yellow jacket traps! I too am retired. Retired from the U.S. Army and really been studying the bee’s for the last several years. My grandparents had a couple of hives when I was a kid. Just enough to keep them in honey, and it really fascinated me as a kid. But being in the army for 24 years didn’t really make for getting into bee’s. Now that I’m done with moving every couple of years, I’m hoping to get a little zen out of my apiary. Thanks again for the information and hope to stay in touch.

[@jeanniehiebert3169]

Bees are the best!

[@Huntnlady7]

@14:00- Bees should be given distilled water, as a base... then you can add non-iodized sea salt. But your Pur water filter really doesn't remove much of the minerals. I imagine you have limestone in your area; we have Caliche; or calcium cabonate and magnesium carbonate in our area. For decades I've used Britta filtered water, but then I researched why I was getting mineral deposits in my joints and cataracts in my eyes. I bought a water distiller. The product of that machine is liquid solely made of of two hydrogen molecules attached to one oxygen molecule. And that's the healthiest thing for an animal to drink. After all; water is the basic molecule of all life on earth. If I stop the distilling process just before it is finished, I find a half inch of hot sludge in the bottom of the tank- and that's from Britta water! So test it out for yourself; that Pur water filter is not the best thing to give your bees OR your family.

[@FrederickDunn]

The PUR water was used as the control. It was arrived as after testing various water sources to find the bee's preference. Today I'd have used/tested Zero Water. :)

[@karenbytherideau]

Hi Frederick, Thank you for posting this! We have received our Flow Hive 2 and have selected where to put our hive. This will be our first endeavour into bees, so we have joined the local bee club and been attending meetings. Everyone has recommended getting a second hive as well, so I'm looking into that. I'm a little concerned that I won't be able to receive the second one in time for this season. I live in the north as well so also have ordered the additional super. Looking forward to putting this hive together, but I'd like to do some pyrography on it first (your videos have inspired me!). Here are some of my questions: Do you have an opinion on Cedar vs Araucaria wood of the Flow Hive 2? What has been your experience with the different types of bees? What specifically would you recommend for hedging? (BTW thank for the plug on the Linden--- my husband has been against getting one, but once you said it on this video, he asked "OK so where do you want to plant our Linden?" Where did you get the inspiration for your Winnie the Pooh picture? Thank's again for posting. (this is a repost from the original video) Enjoy the rest of your day!

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Karen! That's all great news and funny about he linden tree :) I'm also glad I've inspired you to do your pyrography project. If you're burning images on it, the Araucaria would be better for visual contrast, the cedar is very dark when you put even a clear finish on it. The bee question has come up several times, so, I'll add that to my next Q&A :) Thank you soo much!

[@lgalardi]

Fred, love your videos. They are a great teaching tool. Here is a question:. If a frame is extracted with too much nectar, can the moisture content be reduced (after harvest) to an acceptable level?

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes! you can use a standard household dehumidifier, pour the honey into a 5 gallon food grade bucket and tilt it for more surface area. Place it in a small room and let it run. We can get honey down 1.5% water per 24 hours with that method. It also helps to blow a fan directly on the honey surface. We had to pull late season honey off so we could condense the hives for winter and had some high water content honey. Took it from 21% to 16.5% in a spare bedroon in less than 4 days. The dehumidifier also raised the room temp.

[@SuperBuickregal]

Great reboot.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Thomas - sooooo frustrating, but glad I figured it out :)

[@weasleoop]

I am going to plant a lot of buckwheat this year though since it takes off so well here

[@FrederickDunn]

If you have the land, buckwheat is great and very strong honey :)

[@navarra4]

May I suggest you give a try at plant a couple vitex negundo. It’s bloom time lasts a very long time. And is one plant that helps during dearth.

[@ellocochiflao1726]

I use sea water 100 ml on one liter and quarter of normal water and they love it mineral galore.

[@younginsong4355]

Avoid tree lines for the location of beehive. Tree line... I cannot picturize it what that means, exactly. Don't put the beehive between the trees? I'm so far 18/25 streams of this series. I'm getting there to finish, though ^_^

[@navarra4]

At about the 4:30 mark you talk about keeping a medium on top for winter and that it is full of honey. But do you initially have a queen excluder to get the bees to mostly fill that medium with honey for their winter storage. I usually see that the part that is available without an excluder usually has minimal honey and a lot more brood

[@FrederickDunn]

I do not place a queen excluder between those boxes. There may be some brood in with the honey.

[@tinacalifano5023]

I love your videos thanks so much for your valuable information ❤️🐝❤️I really would like more videos like this❤️🐝❤️especially about the beneficial plants and Trees,I want to learn more about ,what else I can plant for my Honey bees to help them survives all year 🐝❤️do you take the flow hive off to extract the honey? Do the honey bees get caught and hurt in the cells if they were in a cell when extracting? Thank so Much❤️🐝❤️

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Tina, thank you so much and welcome to my channel!! If you go to 54:49 at the end of the video, you will see playlists - Click on the one lower left and it has all of my FAQ videos about beekeeping. The Flow-Hive Specific videos are also in a playlist in the upper right hand corner. Thanks again and no, I don't take the flow super off for extraction and zero honeybees are hurt when cells are opened or closed, that's a myth started by someone who hasn't had a flow-hive. :)

[@yowgyrl]

Hello, I really enjoy your videos on beekeeping. The first video I saw on beekeeping was yours and on the flow hive. Have you looked into the copies of the flow hives?

[@FrederickDunn]

I've been avoiding all of the patent thieves. When you contact them, as I have attempted to, they will not provide any material verifications, particularly with the plastic flow-frames. When companies are not transparent regarding where they are manufacturing and what materials are being used, that's the end for me. But, as they are already unethical and "shady" when not honoring patent registration, I'm definitely not onboard. It's my opinion that we should not be rewarding less than honorable marketing corps.

[@Echoes07]

Happy One Year! The first video of Beginner Beekeeping Q&A was a year ago!

[@FrederickDunn]

Has it been a year? Wow... Thanks :)

[@mimib3396]

Question about the 3/4 inch openings you provide your bees. Do you plug them up over the winter? I really like the idea of making it easier for the foragers to come and go.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Mimi, I used to leave them open all year round, I've recently put stainless steel discs over them so I can vent, allow access, or close them off by turning. This year I closed off all upper entrances just to see if that improved anything, but have new feeder shims that have the vents/openings in them which I can control easily.

[@abinjoseph9808]

Loving the top quality content

[@FrederickDunn]

Thank you!

[@abinjoseph9808]

​@@FrederickDunn hello Fredrick, i live in a pretty rain forest like area, We have about 50 acres of land, now to boost agriculture produce and get additional income was planning to get into bee keeping, particularly looking at Flow hive to keep long term labor costs low. i was wondering about your opinion using this at an industrial level. Flow hive seems like a hobby item. How can i convert this to an industry level process. iam assuming 1 or flow hives to being with, potentially ending up with 100s or more. Wanted your opinion

[@FrederickDunn]

@@abinjoseph9808 I don't know of anyone who is truly using the FlowHive on a large commercial scale. Personally, if I were going to run a commercial apiary, I would use the Langstroth box design and still use the honey super removal method of uncapping, spinning, straining, filtering, and bottling. I do personally consider the FlowHive method best suited to those who want 20 hives or less and have the time to operate and maintain the flow-system/hives. Some of the bees never quite fill a flow super where in a commercial traditional method, the frames could be pulled and held for extraction.

[@abinjoseph9808]

@@FrederickDunn ​ Frederick Dunn, slightly confused here, i looked up the Langstroth hive, it would seem this method is just a beefed up traditional method, that would be labor intensive and i would need additional infra to separate the honey and also maintain the infra (Plus travel time between the boxes and separator room). Also the bee hive infra like the wax mold etc is destroyed and the bee will have to rebuild it. (which means less time producing the honey etc). is there something iam missing here. My perception is apart from routine maintenance, if iam using flow hive then, its effectively a press of button. Thanks in advance,

[@FrederickDunn]

When time = money, and you are working large scale, flowhives are not the best commercial option. If you are planning a small scale operation, then yes. If you are planning a large scale commercial operation, your initial investment would be huge with flowhives and production would actually take longer.

[@mihaiilie8808]

Lots of good advices especially about the willows and the linden trees that manny beekepers consider them toxic for the bees.I have a pristine- its a natural reservation- and huge linden forest just one kilometer away from my apiary.Another good tree its the black locust thats native from USA( one kilometer in the otther direction to the linden forest i have a black locus forest).Lately i got into planting protea plants (macadamia is the best known protea) like the sugar bushes from South Africa and New Zealand .They have soo much nectar that natives just soak a.few flowers in a cup of tea or water to make it sweet.For the moment il start with the most cold hardy protea called Gevuina Avellana from Patagonia and if il have success il try otthers as well.

[@FrederickDunn]

Wow, that sounds overwhelming awesome for your apiary location :)

[@mihaiilie8808]

Frederick Dunn I have my apiary in a great location but i also have manny european bee eaters nesting in my area.In fact theyr song its the most common bird song heard in the summer.I dont kill them,they are protected birds but wish there were less of them in my area.Once i digged an abandoned bee eaters nest and it had like 2-3 litters of bee stings in it.They didnt had any predators because hunters shot the crows for fun and there were no crow nests in trees for a little falcon to nest.Last year i was lucky thogh because a migratory pair of swallow falcons nested near my apiary and they raised 4 cubs.Hope they return this spring. kzbin.info/www/bejne/anLEnJane9-Wq5o

[@wolfdogg28]

This videos are really informative and provide a great learning experience, I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. Do you ever have a nice problem with snow on the ground too?

[@FrederickDunn]

During the winter freeze, the more snow the better :) it's an insulator.

[@wolfdogg28]

Hey Fred thank for the quick responses, I meant to ask if you have any rodent problems when there is snow on the ground.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@wolfdogg28 I had mice moving into one hive years ago and haven't had any problems for quite a while, I have many methods for dealing with them IF they show up :)

[@wolfdogg28]

Frederick Dunn that is good to know

[@beemanminnesota7683]

Short honey flows? Beekeepers learn to adapt to most honey flows, I live in an area that is intense, but only about forty days long. My bees can produce well over 100 lbs per hive. Most beekeepers in this area only produce 25 to 50 lbs per hive, because they have not studied the honey bees behavior. I used to spend hours just watch bees fly in and out, and what time of year, also study what is blooming at the time. So now I run 2 queen colonies for a short period of time then break them apart 3 weeks before honey flow ends, a single box with one of the queen is moved next door. It will lose all forage bees to the main hive, the main hive is well on the way in producing 200 LBs of honey. I can tell almost the exact day honey flow is over in my area, it's the same time every year. There used to be a beekeeper who run 1300 colonies in this area, he quit because hives could no longer produce more than 25 lbs of honey.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks for sharing about your success!

[@younginsong4355]

What is the name of the tree, Linden Tree, would you spell out for us, please ~ Thank you in advance ~

[@FrederickDunn]

Linden Trees Tilia Genus

[@greenmeaney6906]

love your videos very educational and wel produced.could you let me know your views on wing clipping as I have an on going argument about it. thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

clipping a queen's wings simply removes her ability to fly away any distance when she eventually swarms out. It does nothing to deter swarming, only her ability to cover any distance.

[@greenmeaney6906]

@@FrederickDunn thanks for your reply just what i've been telling my adversary

[@greenmeaney6906]

@@FrederickDunn Hello fred another question for you. 3 weeks ago my hives swarmed, all swarms caught and rehomed since then one hive seems super protective at certain times. If the queen is going on a mating flight does this make the girls edgy?thanks in advance hope i'm not being a pest .Nick

[@stevebachman6661]

Hello, I have a question about planting an edible hedge or a fence barrier useful as an effective flight path re-director to get them to fly up & over to avoid human contact as much as I can. What is the recommended distance this should be from the entrance of the front of the hive?

[@FrederickDunn]

I would leave just enough space between the hive and hedge so that you can comfortably tend to the hive, generally 3-5 feet between landing board and hedge.

[@58Kym]

A substance may dissociate without necessarily producing ions. As an example, the molecules of table sugar dissociate in water (sugar is dissolved) but exist as intact neutral entities. Another subtle event is the dissociation of sodium chloride (table salt) into sodium and chlorine ions. Although it may seem as a case of ionization, in reality the ions already exist within the crystal lattice. When salt is dissociated, its constituent ions are simply surrounded by water molecules and their effects are visible (e.g. the solution becomes electrolytic). However, no transfer or displacement of electrons occurs. Actually, the chemical synthesis of salt involves ionization. This is a chemical reaction. (Copied from Wikipedia) I am wondering if this process of ionization is involved in the ‘purification’ or ‘curing’ of honey? Perhaps the use of salt water/ionization allows honey to lose water more efficiently. Alternatively, perhaps the greater availability of certain chemicals such as iodine in mineral salt is an important ingredient as a natural antibacterial/germicide or fungicide in honey production by bees. Be nice to know for sure.

[@FrederickDunn]

It's an area that I have been in a running dialogue with chemists and bio-chemists and they haven't been able to explain how that would be a "honey-curing benefit". Certainly someone somewhere began that theory and hopefully proved it out through direct observation. For non-chemists like myself, I'm just happy to know that providing mineral rich water resources will enhance bee health and that we do know. :)

[@gregwaskom552]

7 sons tree. And Korean bee bee trees. Both bloom in sept and into oct. Very good bee trees

[@FrederickDunn]

What ag zones are they good for?

[@gregwaskom552]

@@FrederickDunn bee bee 5-8. 7 sons. 5-9

[@FrederickDunn]

@@gregwaskom552 Ohhhh I'm ag zone 4, but that's good information for others who may be looking :)

[@SuperBuickregal]

good rerun fixerd red screen glitch.

[@wolfdogg28]

What about rain water. I noticed mine collect rain water off the landing board, grass, and flowers, after a fresh rain.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, they often drink rainwater kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWPGoIiCgb2feZY

[@julieenslow5915]

"Its almost like they speculate so strongly that they speculate as if they are sure that has already happened." I have never heard it stated so well, and at the same time so neutrally. No judgement, no comment about people who do not get evidence of a crime before they ask for the death penalty (on any particular topic) - I need to remember this sentence. Might help me to deal with people - and myself - to make sure we are debating facts and how to use them rather than best guess seat of the pants, someone told me kind of thought processes.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Julie :)

[@julieenslow5915]

You are welcome. And thanks to you - I love watching you address questions that raise my blood pressure. I am learning.

[@bluetyr1053]

Since this is on older video - You've amended your hives since this was made to eliminate the upper super entrance. Correct?

[@FrederickDunn]

Correct.

[@tomarc6542]

I believe that the flow hives are a superior evolution but my question is, are they cost effective? How long will it take for me to get my money back. I am currently just looking at getting started.

[@FrederickDunn]

HI Tom, they are the most expensive option and generally take two years for you to break even with honey sales. Although, this year, one of them yielded over $800 with 10 gallons + of honey, that's an extremely rare production rate where I live. My wife sells our surplus RAW honey at $20/quart and though it's not something I strive to do, we ended up with a lot of honey this year. So, if you can get 5 gallons of honey per flow hive per year, you'll take two years to break even.

[@leeannereichmuth9939]

Just a speculation regarding the bees preference for saltwater; man uses salt as a preservative, maybe the bees already "knew" about salt's ability to be a preservative. It could be one reason why honey stays good for so long. Just a thought.

[@mihaiilie8808]

Lee Anne Reichmuth Sugar doesnt need preserves and its unlimited time good.In Tutankamon tomb they found pots with honey that was perfect to eat.

[@FrederickDunn]

it's definitely an area for further focused study/investigation. Thanks Lee Anne :)

[@77deerejohn]

I just looked up the linden tree there is a Cesar Aira, and an American Linden tree witch one would you plant.

[@FrederickDunn]

American Linden :)

[@77deerejohn]

@@FrederickDunn Thank you

[@stevebachman6661]

How hot does it get during your summers? We can get up to, and a bit over 100 F over a period of about a week every summer. I imagine since the flowhive is the product of an Australian Inventing Family that it would be able to handle these summers here. What do you think?

[@FrederickDunn]

Here where I live, we do get temps into the high 90's, but I can't recall actually reaching a 100 or higher mark? If it was predicted to get that hot, I would rig a canopy over the hives to add some shade and would make sure the watering stations are all full and also shaded. The large roof overhang does help keep the upper section cooler, but the brood area would be the critical consideration - slatted racks may also help there.

[@stevebachman6661]

@@FrederickDunn Thank you! I will add slatted racks to my shopping list, and have a canopy I can use.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@stevebachman6661 You're very welcome!

[@framcesmoore]

Ha Can u tel me more about the salt water minerial water u give your bees thanks

[@FrederickDunn]

Oh... great question Frances :) here you go! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYSco4B6gNt7las

[@EveyoneCallsMeTheDude]

What brand honey supers do you find work the best with the flow hives? I ask because I’ve heard that unlike 10 frame hive boxes 8 frame boxes aren’t exactly standard between manufacturers.

[@FrederickDunn]

I use mann lake boxes with the flow hive equipment. With a 10 frame Mann Lake box, the Flow-Box is exactly 1/4 inch narrower on the front panel.

[@EveyoneCallsMeTheDude]

Thanks Fred, I’ll pick up a couple of 8 frame honey supers for my flow original flow hives.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@EveyoneCallsMeTheDude You're very welcome! :)

[@cutterleaf576]

Other than minerals do vitamins effect bees?

[@FrederickDunn]

That's a great question and I will address this in my next FAQ video. If you mean adding vitamins to syrup or essential oils and so on, there have been no conclusive studies so far that indicate or prove that bees are helped by supplements. Quality Pollen Resources is at the top of bee-vitamins.

[@wendybachman6224]

My sister doesn't have internet, but she does have a dvd player. Is it at all possible to get your FAQ 1-13 on dvd for purchase? I'd love to buy it for her.

[@FrederickDunn]

Yes, please email [e-mail] I will explain the details in a reply via email. Thank you Wendy.

[@weasleoop]

Fred I want more of a windbreak, I have one but I want a more beneficial one. So what are you using for your hedge? What type of Evergreen? Thanks,

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Carlos, I use Blue Spruce Trees, Blueberry bushes and now have added a willow grouping. Not a single row-hedge, but layers that break up the wind, including a woven wire fence. In the opposite downwind direction, I have hazelnuts.

[@chadcutshall]

Frederick Dunn what was the exact willow and other tree that have the tonnage of pollen or nectar?

[@FrederickDunn]

@@chadcutshall Linden trees for the nectar overload and Salix Discolor for pollen in early spring. :) The linden tree load I spoke about is actually per acre, not per adult tree, so each tree would yield about 300-400 lbs of nectar.

[@chadcutshall]

​@@FrederickDunn thank you very much. I have 100 maximilian sunflower seeds started in seed trays thanks to you as well.

[@FrederickDunn]

@@chadcutshall You're welcome Chad, those do really well when direct sewed in the soil after the last frost. You are going to enjoy those, I can't wait to see them expand in my lower meadow this year.

[@weasleoop]

How many hives do you have in your apiary Fred? Thanks,

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Carlos, I try to lock it down to 10 and then I give extras away to new beekeepers from time to time.

[@jemtebelle]

....nothing but a cup of coffee...? Did--he--what?

[@FrederickDunn]

Ok ok... maybe I worded that wrong (';')( ';')... I'm not part of the naked beekeeper club. btw, that's a real thing!

[@julieenslow5915]

OH dear Lord! Naked Beekeeper Club? LOL No comment, excuse me, still laughing!

[@FrederickDunn]

@@julieenslow5915 I know a woman who wears her ventilated bee suite and nothing else... I suggested that she may want to add a few more "pockets"? I also am not a member of the naked gardener club and that's also a real thing :)

[@julieenslow5915]

I'm not adverse to people who like to get naked. Nudist colonies are a thing. My best friend and her husband have visited a nudist colony and loved it. I'm just not open to it personally at this time. But I can not think of a less appropriate thing than going naked in to an apiary to deal with your bees. A bee suit and nothing under it? That at least does not seem to be tempting fate so much! Each to their own.

[@TheGuerrCZ]

I think bees just need the salt (and other minerals) for themselves/for larvae. I dont think it can help cure honey.

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm still open on that subject, but for now, I tend to agree with you here.

[@BradGrassforest]

Who is this guy?

[@FrederickDunn]

I have no idea (';')( ';')....

[@Worldofpharmacy1]

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