Is the Flow Hive / Flow Hive 2 worth it? My opinion on the Flow Hive vs. Langstroth

For more frequent updates in between videos please visit the Bug Farmer Instagram page: / thebugfarmer
About this video:
In this video I will be answering the most common question I receive in the comments: What is your opinion on the Flow Hive or the Flow Hive 2? This is a tricky question but I will try to answer it honestly and give new beekeepers some insight to the pros and cons of starting beekeeping with the flow hive. The flow hive, created by Stewart and Ceder Anderson is the most innovative thing to happen in beekeeping since Langstroth invented the hive with his name on it 150 years ago. I hope this video answers your questions and helps you decide to become a beekeeper with or without the Flow Hive. The Flow Hive and Flow Hive 2 are expensive and a very costly way to begin beekeeping (trust me I know) but if this is what it takes to make you become a bee keeper then by all means have at it and buy a flow hive. If you are dead set on getting one but you don't want to spend 1,000.00 then watch my "6 Flow Hive Hacks" video where I will show you how to build a Flow Hive 2 for under 400.00. I hope you fins this information useful.
About this Channel:
I hope you enjoy this video. If you are interested in becoming a beekeeper or experience backyard beekeeping for yourself have a look at some of the videos on this channel as well as videos from creators I have listed below. This is my third season as a beekeeper and everything I have learned came from KZbin and mostly from the channels listed below.
Although this channel is primarily about beekeeping I am also a quasi pepper who believes in becoming self-sufficient. With that in mind, I have started a garden, planted fruit trees, replaced the hedges in front of my house with blueberry bushes, and have recently built a chicken coop. In short, I will share a lot more than bees with this channel.
A little about me:
I am a person who believes you are never to old to learn something. Be it beekeeping, farming, raising chickens, painting, filming and editing video, making wine, beer, bread, cheese, and other fermentation consumables, play guitar etc... If I see something I want to try I start it immediately. If there is one thing I could choose to pass along to my children this would be it. Never be afraid to try. My wife famously told me once that if you are not willing to be bad at something, you will never be good at it. That means I am bad at quite a few things.
A little about you:
Please reach out in the comments and tell me what you're up too and how I could do things better. You may have experience doing what it is I am attempting to do and you knowledge and experience could be very helpful to me. Remember, I try all sorts of thing but I am not always successful. ...but I still try. :-)
Here are a couple of the people who I follow and consider virtual mentors. These channels will help you in your beekeeping journey and show you many ways to make your beekeeping adventure an exciting one.
My Mentors:
Vino Farm
/ @vinofarm
Frederick Dunn
/ htcsweod
Mike Barry
/ @mikebarrybees
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The gear I use:
Primary Camera: Sony FDRAX53/B 4K HD
Secondary Camera: Sony FDRAX53/B 4K HD
Primary MIC: Sony ECMXYST1M Stereo Microphone
Secondary MIC: Sony ECMXYST1M Stereo Microphone
Tripod: ( GEEKOTO Camera Tripod
Editing Software: Adobe Premier
Graphics Package: Adobe Photoshop
Learning Final Cut Pro
Channel Key words:
#beekeeping #flowhive #prepping
A bit about my channel:
This channel is primarily about beekeeping or more specifically beekeeping 101 because I am just a beginning beekeeper and I figured the best way to learn to be a beekeeper was to buy a flow hive, sometimes spelled flowhive or a flow hive 2 which is sometimes known as a flowhive 2 and begin building by backyard apiary so I would have a place to keep bees. Now, backyard beekeeping is not the only thing I do. I consider myself to be urban farming as I also try to grow a sustainable and edible landscape. Backyard farming for me also includes keeping chicken and building other things in my shop that will help all of the birds, bees, insects, and other natural pollinators. I learn how to feed bees and chickens while showing you my day-to-day activities in my apiary, sometimes known as a bee yard. Some people consider me a prepper and yes there is a little truth to that. I do consider this a form of prepping and becoming self sufficient. Thank you for spending time with me learning about tap hives, flow hives, honeybees, and chickens.

[@FrederickDunn]

OOohhh you mentioned me :) Thank you so much! No question that the number one complaint is the cost of the hive. I'm glad to know that this hive design was at the foundation of your inspiration to keep bees. You are also spot on that we need to inspect and know about the bees and what's going on down below the Flow-Supers. I can share that this is my 7th year with the frames and you will need to clean them eventually, but they are not wearing out "yet". Just get the super and put it on any strong colony you have :) YOU have a GREAT beekeeping Spring! :)

[@BugFarmerBees]

I mention you all the time. You my friend are the OG of the KZbin beekeepers. I have been watching your videos from the beginning. You and Jim at Vino Farm have had a huge influence on my beekeeping and my YouTubing. I know I can always count on your channel for solid information and great filmography. Moreover, you are the reason I have chickens and a home weather station. I am working to improve my beekeeping this year and not focus on the honey or the number of colonies, but rather the bees and the process. That said, I am a tinkerer and will continue to try new things and approach the issues of beekeeping from a different perspective than most. I hope I don't let you down as a virtual mentor. Thanks for stopping in to have a look at some of my videos and for taking the time to comment, but mostly for just being out there. I really appreciate you. Take care.

[@drew2it733]

Literally all the company has to do is license out for north America and Europe to local factories and allow the Americans to dig into it. Guarantee they'll find a way to drive production costs down to a 1/3 of what they are now, they're excellent at that. Slash the price 50% and still walk away with an even higher profit margin and you've made it possible to double or triple sales because it's now more affordable. Again, I don't know why this company isn't doing this already.

[@kevinheflin4375]

This guy makes me want to buy one or two I've got a big garden and lots of flowers but I don't know anything about bees but it looks like the Flow hive hybrid is definitely the way to go for a first time beekeeper

[@albertbresca8904]

@@kevinheflin4375 me too... i had seen a video criticising the flow hive... but this was more informative (can't remember the other video) .. I have been looking at beekeeping for a couple of years but haven't tried yet.. i am in australia and will look at flow hives again.. thanks

[@learnjcbskidsterchickensga7594]

You have the Canadian beekeeper who is an awesome guy to listen to

[@loco0351]

I remember seeing the start when they were raising money on the website. I thought about it back then but unfortunately I was living in a crappy city neighbors too close and well no flowers for the bees. So I thought it wouldn't be right. Now I living in a town with more nature around and starting to think about it again. Specially since the neighbors have a little bit more distance. I need to learn more about bee keeping before I purchase. Thank you for the video it's very informative specially for someone like me who is thinking about starting.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi and thank you for stopping in to have a look. All I can say is I highly recommend beekeeping if you have the space for a couple of hives in your yard. You won't regret it as a hobby. It's like having outdoor fish tanks that provide a bucket of honey twice a year. That said, I do like the flow hives but at this point in time I would recommend a couple of inexpensive Langstroth hives to get started. Later if you want the novelty of a flow hive then either get one or build one. Again, thank you for stopping in to have a look at my video and I hope to see you in future comments. On this channel I like to keep it light and have fun and provide a look at hobbyist back yard beekeeping. You can learn from my mistakes and you can teach me with your successes. Take care.

[@loco0351]

@@BugFarmerBees Thank you !

[@garyball6698]

Great video! I've have kept bees for about 10 years, but chose to give my 2 hives to a friend, along with all my supplies and equipment, when we moved last June. I'm looking to "start over", and am always looking for the latest and greatest. I think the most intimidating part of beekeeping for me when I started was the robbing and extracting process, and I made plenty of mistakes before I finally figured out the best process for my situation. I suspect that is the case for most new, inexperienced beekeepers. To that end, the Flow Hive has a lot of appeal, especially to the person looking for a great hobby and sweet rewards.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I agree. If the plan is to have just a couple of garden hives, and just a couple of garden hives, the Flow Hive is a great solution. If you don't want to spend the money on the full blown flow hive I have another video that will help you build a couple on the cheap: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoHHfaKgq9SYj9U or you can et a cheap Chinese knock-off that will serve the same purpose.

[@debstanton9246]

Thank you for a great video! I appreciate your pros and cons, and you are easy to listen to. I will keep watching, and as a first year (attempting) beekeeper, I will/may consider trying a Flow Hive at some point. Wishing you a healthy bee season.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you Deb. I appreciate you stopping in to have a look. It's my fourth year and I am still (attempting) to be a beekeeper. The bees still teach me something every day. Thanks for stopping in to have a look.

[@petergehr2250]

Thanks for the review. Fair, comprehensive and entertaining! I've been a beekeeper in the past and have been looking into the Flow Hive system as an option, so it's great to get some insights and input from those, like yourself, who are using them. Awesome job!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks for the kind words Peter and for taking time to leave a comment. I am you found the video useful. Take care.

[@hevchip741]

I have watched many of the flow hive videos and Frederick Dunn. I love how cedar and the crew tell you how you can make some of your own gadgets or variations on gadgets etc rather than buying the actual product. The frames are brilliant and its always explained that you can use then in a normal Langstroth box. I have mine ready to go next spring, i cant wait.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I remember the anticipation. It was a long winter for me that year :-)

[@stevebeever2442]

Totally agree with what you have said here. I know zero about beekeeping & stumbled across a flow hive video on here yesterday & now i'm starting to get really interested in beekeeping & seriously considering trying this out. Yes they are expensive but for new people I think they are great & if these hives bring more new people into beekeeping in their backyard then that can only be a good thing

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks Steve. Just be careful, once you start beekeeping you get hooked in a hurry. Next thing you know you'll have 20 hives and side business selling honey. :-)

[@cammillehill8662]

Followed all of you! Thanks for the information, we are just getting started!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you Cammille. Let me be the first to welcome you to the hobby. I hope to see you in future comments. :-)

[@paynespaulding3621]

I can tell you are very passionate about bee keeping and your extensive research is now being passed down to myself. It was a brilliant video start to finish. I am not a beekeeper, however, I have a strong desire to do so and I have even more courage now to become a bee keeper myself.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I really appreciate the kind words.Beekeeping is an addictive and rewarding hobby. There really is no need to spend a ton of money to get started. You can get yourself a couple of NUCs from a supplier and either order or build a couple of beehives and you are off to the races. You will be harvesting your own honey as soon as next summer. All of your neighbors with flowers and gardens will love you too :-). If you haven't looked into Bee Castle hives I can highly recommend them. a.co/d/6fjSz7z , they are quality hives and offer good value and utility for the money. You can get a couple of full kits for little money. Or if you choose to go the Flow Hive direction you can get themm from honeyflow.com Welcome to the hobby. ;-)

[@paynespaulding3621]

@@BugFarmerBees thank you for the kind words and advice

[@lifebeginswithaseed]

Thank you for the great information without a lot of filler. Cheers with honey on tap!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you. I try hard :-)

[@afloresj]

Fantastic explanation, very objective and complete. I like the fact that you gave credit to the creators of this invention and provide you personal comments around it... I might start mine soon, thanks to this video..!

[@BugFarmerBees]

You are welcome Arturo. I appreciate you stopping in to have a look and taking time to drop a comment. Take care.

[@tipshikes3682]

Good to find you and excellent video,I’m a yr out building up the property getting it ready to start a small business in honey,looking forward to watching more from you.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Excellent. I am building up the apiary and m y honey business too. Thank you for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. I hope to see you in future comments. Take care.

[@wingsbeyondthegardengate1246]

I've been considering flow hive every since their Kickstarter ( yes wish I had done it then) Now back to a do I or don't I ? Yours is the first video that really helps me understand what I looking at. Thank you so much. ! Great video!

[@BugFarmerBees]

I am really happy you found it useful. I do suggest that regardless of whether you choose the flow hive or not you take up beekeeping. It is a very useful and enjoyable hobby. I appreciate you stopping in top have a look and taking time to comment. Take care.

[@MrDaffyduck80]

Thank you for this excellent presentation. I have a flow hive on order & am looking forward to sharing the experience & knowledge with my grandchildren. I therefore consider it to be good value for the money

[@BugFarmerBees]

Excellent. Be careful, beekeeping is addictive. :-)

[@tonywalker5402]

Thank you for your great information to help me decide whether to become a bee keeper.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I say DO IT! With or without a flow hive it is a great hobby. It's like having fish tanks outside that give you honey. :-) Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it and hope to see you in future comments. have a great new year.

[@Zero_Crates]

Nice Nunchaku on your tool rack and thank you for going through the history and explaining the Flow Hive!

[@BugFarmerBees]

I keep those up there in case bees come after me :-)

[@StephanieWilsonxoxo]

Just what i was looking for. Great video! Thank u!

[@BugFarmerBees]

You're welcome. Thank you for stopping in to have a look.

[@justinl9426]

Thank you. I'm not a bee keeper but am looking to get involved and you sold me on it.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Be careful. It is addictive.

[@microsnook3]

New subscriber. This is an excellent video. Well articulated. Well opinionated. Thank you for sharing your experiences! I am wanting to get into bees and think this may be the way for me to do so. I have a lot to learn in the mean time. Cheers

[@BugFarmerBees]

Welcome potential beekeeper. Be careful, beekeeping is addictive. :-)

[@terradeloach8540]

Thank you for sharing this. Lots of decisions to be made.

[@BugFarmerBees]

This may be premature but.... Welcome to the hobby :-)

[@velmajoseph9163]

great review of the flow hive. Thank you for the information and your perspective

[@BugFarmerBees]

You are quite welcome. Thanks for stopping in to have a look. Take care.

[@thechawnel241]

Honest man who knows how to talk about a product and its experience with it. Going into bee keeping, New subscriber, thank you! 🎉

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you. I sincerely appreciate that. I always provide an honest review. Even if the products are provided to me at no cost. I like to spread the word about good products and how to make products better. I also like to call out bad products so people don't waste their money on them. Cash is too hard to come by these days and doesn't need to be wasted on things that don't provide good value or utility. Thank you for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it.

[@bustlingawkn2590]

I love doing research before buying. And I just loved this video! Only thing that really caught my attention was needing to buy another hive for them to grow another Queen. Very helpful information!!!

[@BugFarmerBees]

I am happy you found it useful. I hope you stick around and enjoy some of my other videos. Also, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It helps the channel. Take care.

[@christinemalloy-brooks7540]

🦄 Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge.🐝 I've been looking at clear plastic keg set ups. We live in town. So it would be a small hive and having the ability to see everything would be a big plus for the grandchildren. Just marinating on the idea.

[@BugFarmerBees]

They are a lot of fun and they do work. Just remember, you will have to inspect the hive from time to time. That said, you will get hooked on bees. They are very neat little creatures. Thanks for stopping in to have a look Christine. I really appreciate you taking time to comment. Take care.

[@l.johnston5152]

Excellent honest thorough concise review! Subscribing now

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you so much L.Johnston. I really appreciate the kudos. Thanks for subbing and I hope to see you in future comments. Take care.

[@jonathanlamparter4308]

Thank you for the good information as I am looking to get into beekeeping

[@BugFarmerBees]

Excellent. I am happy you found the information useful. I warn you beekeeping is very addictive but at least honey is selling for 10.00 a pound :-)

[@robcarl1100]

Good honest assessment, thank you.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks. I am happy you received value from it. Take care.

[@user-lv5qj8yu9r]

Thanks for he information, I’ve considered a flow hive for some time now. Very helpful

[@BugFarmerBees]

You're welcome.

[@virginiaseedsskogen2038]

I've been watching bee related videos off and on over the last couple years. Today I ordered two Flow Hive 2's, and now looking at as many bee videos as I can find :) Looking forward to the new adventure!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Virginia. Great to hear. You are going to love beekeeping. Just remember two things: 1. Always move slow and steady when in your hive. The bees generally won't mind you being in the hive if you are slow and steady. They don't like jarring moves or strong vibrations. 2. The bees will punish you when you make a mistake. They, the bees, want you to be a great beekeeper and will nudge you in the right direction with a tiny sting or two when you make a mistake as a way to prevent you from make the mistake a second time. I will be harvesting my flow hives in a couple of weeks so you can stop in to have a look. Take care and have a great day. Welcome to beekeeping. :-)

[@thenomadrhodes]

Drop a no bs review for us, me and my wife are chomping at the bit to get one.

[@rhulse8904]

I just bought my first flow hive 2, red cedar, 6 frame, new not used on sale for $129.00 with free shipping. I’ve been thinking of beekeeping for a couple of years now but just couldn’t afford the initial cost of $500 to $700 just for a hive so when I came across this deal I first thought it was a typo because everywhere else they are $500 dollars or more. I just ordered it yesterday 10/27/2022. At that price I couldn’t pass it up! I’m thinking about moving some money from savings and buying a second one.

[@jankuna9479]

I‘m very interested in the Flow Hive. Great video. Merci!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Merci Jan de s'être arrêté sur ma chaîne pour jeter un coup d'œil. J'espère que l'information a été utile. Prends soin de toi.

[@mariannesharp5391]

Thank you so much I am glad that you compared it the Langstroth hive pros/cons good job!! 🐝 Bee Blessed 😊

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you. I really appreciate you sharing your time with me and taking the time to comment. I hope to see you in future comments. Tale care.

[@papasquatch4964]

Perfect video. Just what we needed to know.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks Papa Squach. I love the name.

[@whitneymoore4507]

Great video!!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you Whitney. I appreciate it. Take care.

[@chasonsnotes]

I sure wish I could. But great information. Thanks

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks Chason for stopping in to have a look. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Take care.

[@honeymcdonald9120]

I adore my flow hive. First of all I would never have got into beekeeping if it hadn't been for this. I love how each frame can have a completely different taste. I love not squishing bees during the process. (This should be the number one reason to use this method) I have called upon experienced beekeepers in my area to help with the management of the hive and I have learned a lot, but I know I have a lot more to learn. The cost is high but for the pleasure my bees knees give me it is fair. I don't have to buy an extractor.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I am happy you joined the world of beekeeping. It is a happy hobby :-)

[@Ulfrich_Stormcock]

Does it work well?? How much is it and is it worth the cost?

[@ellobeno6716]

Great video! I've been researching to get into bee keeping with a Langstroth for the last week but was on the fence because of the time it takes to harvest that I don't really have spare. Until today when I discovered the Flow Hive and completely blew my mind. It fixes everything I was worried about. Honey on tap, yes please. My only new worry is since you mention each frame tastes different, would it make it harder to sell/please returning customers since they would be expecting the same great taste?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Ello, All honey sells well. If you want you can mix it all together before you bottle the honey. Personally I like the different flavors. :-)

[@maryjanebeatty6030]

Great video ! I’m living a beekeepers life vicariously through you and other beekeepers!

[@BugFarmerBees]

I have nothing but smiles for you :-)... Take care.🙂

[@rickrapirio3798]

You’ll love beekeeping! Just avoid FlowHive because it’s not worth the money nor headaches.

[@horizontalbees3480]

Great information on the flow hive!! Enjoyed the whole video.

[@b.h.8421]

lol i dont know who you are ... but you are my favorite beekeeper to listen to

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks B.H. I appreciate you stopping in to have a look and taking the time to comment.

[@orestesbastos]

Very nice video! I don't know if I'll ever be able to get into beekeeping, but I found the flow hive because of their focus on not disturbing the bees while you harvest the honey. I've seen people discuss it so much but usually, they don't focus on the price, good to know there is such a big difference between the flow and Langstroth hives. One question, have you noticed if the bees reuse their combs after a harvest? I know you break them vertically, but after reading that the bees use a lot more energy to make wax, I wondered if the flow hive helped with that by not forcing them to remake it all, So I started wondering if they just patch the combs or eat the wax and reuse it, helping them be more comfortable and maybe even be able to produce more honey.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Great question. Yes the flow frames are reused after harvest. After I drain each frame I return the comb back to its closed position. The bees will immediately begin to repair the comb and start storing honey. Because the synthetic comb is mostly food grade plastic, the bees only need to reseal a seam that runs through the center of the comb. It takes no time at all. The bees are usually storing honey again within 48 hours. Beyond that, I hope you do get into beekeeping. It is very necessary to our environment, provides pollination to the plants, honey for your jar, and extra money in your pocket. Moreover, it's very rewarding and addictive. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and also for taking the time to comment. Take care.

[@spirestocksnotification6710]

@@BugFarmerBees If the frames are split in the middle temporarily and the caps on both of the sides are intact, what informs the bees to take away the caps and start over

[@cindyb8856]

I would love to be a beekeeper and I have absolutely know knowledge. I appreciate your information but I'm still lost 😂 I will learn. Thanks again.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I suggest watching my old videos, @Vino Far videos from the beginning, watch @Frederick Dunn. That should give you all you need to know to start beekeeping. It is a fun journey. I started watching @vino Farm and @Frederick Dunn for a year before I got my first hive. I learned much.

[@stewartthomas2642]

Great vid

[@BugFarmerBees]

Than you.

[@shanetunnell8252]

Great video! Very informative. I’ll be checking out more of your videos for sure! My journey begins 😬

[@BugFarmerBees]

Welcome to the beekeeping club. :-)

[@jimmynorton4926]

Very good video sir..

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thank you. I appreciate you stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. Take care.

[@florinaradulescu8856]

Loved the video! Thank you. Quick question for overwintering i was thinking the same lines with a medium normal frame super. Is there any brand of medium super that fits better on a flow hive 2, than others?

[@BugFarmerBees]

That is a great question. Let me go to the shop really quick and measure some boxes. Hold please.... Okay, after a run to the shop I have to say any box that is built with 3/4" stock should be fine. All Langstroth internal dimensions are the same. The only difference is the thickness of the wood they are built with. My flow hive is built with 3/4" cedar so any box built with 3/4" stock should be fine. I have some boxes that are 7/8 and even 1". I hope this helps and answers you question. Take care.

[@florinaradulescu8856]

@Bug Farmer Thank you!! Really appreciate it! Love your videos. Learned soo much! Appreciate all your hard work and dedication to get newbies like me on the right path 🥰💓

[@AttaButt]

Very nice, excellent

[@BugFarmerBees]

You are very welcome.

[@DoubleplusUngoodthinkful]

Thanks for the info. I am looking into getting a Flow Hive. Seems the price has come down a bit.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I am happy I could help. Welcome to beekeeping. :-)

[@davidwren1879]

So, the Flow Hive is a gateway drug for beekeepers?! I can believe that. I started out looking at Flow Hives. Pretty sure it was Jim, over at Vino Farms, that convinced me not to get one (yet). This will be my 3rd year, and still haven't overwintered any bees yet, but I keep trying, and at least I have some drawn comb for the nucs when the get here. Central Maine

[@BugFarmerBees]

You have been keeping bees for three years and they never make it through the winter? You may want to look at my hive heater videos. That should keep your bees toasty warn throughout the winter. Part 1 of 4 : kzbin.info/www/bejne/q52qkJWNibKNeLc

[@davidwren1879]

@@BugFarmerBees LOL. First winter I didn't strap my lids down. Wind and rain blew them off and then the temp dropped to 30 degrees that night. Last year I blew out my knee in July and could get to my hives until after Thanksgiving. Crossing my fingers for this year.

[@MrRomrad3]

I am a beginner and I just bought my first flow hive. Thank you for your introduction!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Excellent!!! Bees are a lot of fun especially if you like solving riddles. They are always posing new problems for us to solve. I would have to say the hardest thing about beekeeping though is remembering all of the bees names. After all the queen lays up to 1500 eggs a day. :-) Make sure to look around your area (3 mile radius) during your first year and then take time to notice the changes next year in the same area. More flowers, fuller gardens, etc.. Seeing the change in my area after I started was the most amazing thing ever. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and welcome to the hobby. I am sure you will find it rewarding. Take care. :-)

[@rickrapirio3798]

Glad you are beekeeping. Too bad you’re going to have headaches with FlowHive. They don’t work. Stick with standard frames and supers. You’ll thank me later. We have banned their use in ALL our club apiaries.

[@DanLiese]

never owned bee hives but now want a flowhoney bee hive. where is a great website/videos on the basics of bee keeping and maintaing bee hives. Dan in Rhode Island

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Dan. It is a wonderful hobby. I warn you though it is addictive. :-) Thank you for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to comment. I hope to see you in future comments. Take acre.

[@DanLiese]

@@BugFarmerBees I am considering buying on complete set up of the flow honey set up along with equipment. It does seem like a lot of money but well built and makes collecting the honey easier?

[@2011Mamamia]

Thank you! Great video, just starting my interest in beekeeping. What is the total kilos of honey from one box did you harvest since you started with FlowHive system? I was told that the system lasts only about 2 yrs since the beeswax & propolis stick to the hexagonal cells..is that true? and how do you clean it?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I have harvested up to ~19.5 kilos from a single harvest. The frames are very sturdy and I have had them 4 seasons now and they still work flawlessly. Frederick Dunn on KZbin is the Flow Hive Guru and he has been running them since they were first released and his are all still running so they do not wear out after two years. As far as cleaning them, I haven't had the need. The bees take care of that for me after each harvest. I hope this answered your question. Take care.

[@trinity7589]

Thank you so much. This was really helpful! Do the bees still produce their own wax in the flow hives? I'm a total newbie. :)

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Trinity. Yes, the bees will produce their own wax. If you have access to beeswax I would recommend brushing some wax on the flow frames to encourage the bees to take to it. Great to hear from you and welcome to the beekeeping community.

[@HeatherSaltas]

Flow Hive is what has got me interested in becoming a beekeeper! This year I’m doing all my research and learning and then I will be ordering one the end of the year so I start next spring! I watched another beekeeper who lives in Maine put out a video about the cost of starting as a beekeeper amd he listed everything from the hive, tools, extractor etc. to be up to about $2500. Granted you only have to buy some of this stuff once, but as a start it looked like a Flow Hive was actually cheaper. But I wish they gave out a discount for keepers buying a second, third etc. lol thanks for the video! I can’t wait to get my hive!!

[@BugFarmerBees]

The flow hive is a good way to start but like I said it costs a lot of money. On amazon you can get everything you need to start for 165.00 except the bees which will cost about 75.00 for a package so you can be beekeeping in two weeks for about 225.00. If you are just starting out let me tell you something I wish people had told me. Don't be afraid of getting stung. The bees DO NOT want to sting you. They know if they do they will die. All they want to do is work and defend the colony. Move slow and steady while in the hive and you will be fine. If you do get stung, use your smoker to blow smoke on the sting to dilute the attack pheromone released when the bee stings. Lastly, bee stings don't feel anything like you may remember as a kid, they don't hurt that bad and the sting only hurts for a while. For me, I don't even get a reaction to the stings anymore, it still hurts for a couple of minutes but I don't swell , itch, or anything like that. Let me know when you get your first colony. Very exciting.

[@rickrapirio3798]

Well, it might work in Australia but not here. DOES NOT WORK. We have 12 master beekeepers here (soon to be 14) who cannot make these darn things work and we do not allow their use in our club apiaries. Period. When 12 beekeepers with over 300+ years of combined experience cannot make them work while trying every trick the factory people tell us to try, there is a big problem. Plus, there is the fact that they took in tons of crowdsourced funding and still charge insane prices for their product. Ethics? Not in Australia business I guess. Good luck! Stick to traditional methods and save yourself a lot of headaches. At our State beekeeping meetings, I’d say almost 100% of the beekeepers say “Hell No” to FlowHive. If you want to try them just for fun, you can get the Chinese knockoff frames on Amazon or other websites. I assume they work the same (they don’t), and you only spend about 1/4-1/3 the price of the Australian version.

[@HeatherSaltas]

@@rickrapirio3798 well I already have my flow hive and my bees are ordered to arrive in April. I’m excited to get started. I’ve been seeing more good news then bad so I’m giving it a shot. Where are you located?

[@traxxi2003]

Question; you mentioned that in your first season you had to add additional bee hives due to bee growing in numbers. Does that means if you don’t have the open space that can safely house several beehives then one should reconsider getting into bee keeping? Thank you for sharing your experience with the Flowhive!!!

[@BugFarmerBees]

No not at all. I would suggest at least two hives for any beekeeper though. It is important to have a second hive to compare against the first and procure needed resources when necessary. Specifically if one of the hives goes queen-less you can grab a frame of eggs from the other hive and give it to the queen-less hive to make a new queen. A single hive doesn't provide that option. That said, bees do like to split their colonies each spring so having extra space doesn't hurt if you would like to keep all of the extra bees. If not just let them swarm away and populate the environment. :-) Great question. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to drop a comment. Take care.

[@jeffwongdesign]

really helpful video. i've been thinking about getting into beekeeping. i have a bunch of questions i'd like to ask you about getting started a flow started in my back yard. if i sent you an photo, would you be able to give me (and other viewers) advice on the best location for the hive(s)? thanks!!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Jeff. The best location is one facing south-east. The goal id to capture that morning sunlight on the landing board all season to wake the girls up and get them out working. A full sun area is also preferred. It's great you are getting into beekeeping it is a very rewarding hobby. If I may provide one more piece of advice I would suggest starting out with two hives. It will provide you with a comparison and the ability to correct mistakes in one hive with resources from the other. Good luck on your adventure.

[@WildOnesHomestead]

Thank you for all of this great information!!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Great! Now get some bees for the homestead. :-)

[@WildOnesHomestead]

@@BugFarmerBees we are having trees cleared soon (hopefully in the next month) and then we have some builds to do and an orchard to plant. So I am still very much in the learning/planning point! Haha

[@jaymee.lee23]

How this is a great video! My toddler and I were watching a Honey Bee Video and it really inspired me to look into bee keeping. I spent the money and am waiting on the Flow Hive 2. You are the first video I came to and I am thankful that i did! This is a great video and thanks for sharing your information,

[@BugFarmerBees]

Yea Jaymee. Welcome to the hobby. Thanks for the kind words and for stopping in to watch my videos. I really appreciate you being out there. Take care.

[@handsometj3739]

🦄 Very informative. I have an allergy to bee stings so I will live my beekeeping through you and Vino. 🐝

[@BugFarmerBees]

I'll try to get stung less so I don't kick off a KZbin sting reaction :-) Thanks for stopping in to have a look. I really appreciate it. Take care.

[@beesandtractors]

Great and informative for people considering one. I don't have one but thought the same thing you did abt not having to get into the hive. How boring wld beekeeping bee then?! Getting into them is the best part! Thanks for the bug farmer's insight. 🐝

[@BugFarmerBees]

How would I ever use the sting-o-meter if I didn't have to get into the hives. :-) Thanks for stopping in to have a look. Take care.

[@beesandtractors]

@@BugFarmerBees lol!! That's the truth!! Have a great weekend

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

I agree, I will stick to my medium supers and honey extractor.

[@CrimeDoesNotPay]

So will a Flow work by itself season after season or are other Langstroth/ additional Flow hives required for it to maintain it’s bee🐝 population?

[@BugFarmerBees]

The flow hive will work by itself season after season but to my knowledge no one over-winters bees in a flow hive with the flow super on the hive. I could be wrong but I haven't seen it. Remember, the brood box of a flow hive is a standard Langstroth hive body and is completely interchangeable with all Langstroth equipment of the same size. At the end of the nectar flow, and when my flow hive harvest is finished I remove the flow super and replace it with a medium super for the girls to store the fall flow and any supplemental sugar syrup I feed them in preparation for winter. I hope this answers your question. Take care.

[@msheron]

Looking to get into beekeeping and the Flow Hive seems like a great box. Here is my thing as I know colonies split and you get more hives. What if you do not want more hives but maybe one maybe two total??? How do you manage that aspect so you don't have a field of 200 boxes in 10 years?...LOL BTW- Great review and fact you still have to do basic bee keeping task even with a Flow Hive. I wondered the same thing as well and you answered my question.

[@BugFarmerBees]

First, thank you for stopping in to have a look and I am happy it helps. Now for swarm management. If you want to maintain only two hives you have a couple of options. The option you choose really depends on your goals; honey, or pollination. If you simply want to pollinate your garden and surrounding area you can simply let the bees swarm whenever they decide they need too. Generally bees will swarm once or twice per year per colony depending on their numbers, space, and available resources needed to sustain the colony. Each time they swarm they will leave 1/3 to 1/2 the bee population in the hive. If your goal is honey you will want to prevent the swarm and keep the bees in the hive. The larger the colony the more honey at harvest. Generally this requires you, the beekeeper, to add boxes, cut out queen cells, perform internal demaree splits, clip the queens wing, etc.... There are many ways to stop swarming but all of them require you, the beekeeper, to be on top of the activity of the hive. That is the short answer. There are a lot of great channels out there that can help you with your journey. Frederick Dunn( @FrederickDunn ), Vino Farm( @vinofarm ), Bob Binnie ( @bobbinnie9872 ) , Mike Barry( @MikeBarryBees ), Kamon Reynolds( @kamonreynolds ), and many more. Make sure to check out the older videos too as there is always a lot of great information available. All of that said, I hope you come back to my channel for my weekly videos, I always try to keep it light and fun. I am not a teacher but you can certainly learn from my successes and failures. Sorry for the wall of text but I hope this answers your questions. Take care.

[@Ulfrich_Stormcock]

Is one flow hive not enough as a beginner bee keeper? These are pricey but I want to be a beekeeper

[@raquelstevenson3009]

Thank you for the video. I am curious about harvesting beeswax, seems like the Flow doesn't allow that, am I right?

[@BugFarmerBees]

You are correct. The only wax on the flow frame is the wax the bees use to seal the frames and the cappings. After the harvest the bees will reseal the frames and remove the cappings. I hope that answers your question. Thank you for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to comment. Take care.

[@Mcv2023]

Hi I would like to know if it would be worth to buy a bee hive ,and try havesting honey from the two pear trees in my back yard the small pears fall from the trees and bees sworm around, alot. thanks Tom

[@BugFarmerBees]

As far as a getting a beehive, I am all for it. As far as harvesting honey from the pears trees in your back yard, well, the pear trees don't produce near enough nectar to create enough honey to harvest. The good news is that the bees will fly up to 6miles away to collect nectar to turn into honey so chances are pretty good if you get a couple of hives you will be harvesting honey. Now, as far as the pears on the ground go; have a good look at the bees on those pears, chances are they are yellow jacket wasps. Bees will land on and eat rotting fruit, especially in dearth when resources are lean, but they will only eat rotting fruit if nothing else is available. I have two pear trees directly in front of my hives and the bees rarely land on and eat the dropped and rotting fruit. The yellow jacket wasps on the other hand feast on them all day every day. I hope this answers your question. Get some hive and join the hobby. Take care.

[@user-vk5ws3jl1l]

🐝Unicorn accepts your offerings 🐝🦄

[@BugFarmerBees]

Nice to meet you. You are now in the loop and no longer a unicorn. :-)

[@bighos3907]

Hi Bug Farmer. Love your videos and no nonsense approach. I also love the color of the natural wood of your non flow hive bee boxes. Where did you buy the ones with the longer handles? And what did you do to treat them? What product did you use? Thanks!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Big Hos. Thanks for the kind words. I'm not sure which boxes you are referring too but I get my boxes from Better Bee and Mann Lake. As far as the finish goes; I use Minwax 700454444 70045000 Penetrating Stain, Gunstock and MCCLOSKEY 7509 Man-o-War Spar Varnish. The varnish lays down really nice and is highly UV resistant. If it can protect a sailboat it can protect the hives. :-) Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to comment. Have a great day.

[@mattybravo9104]

Cool video mate!!!! Subscribed Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks for stopping in to have a look and taking the time to drop a comment. I hope your summer is going well down under and your bees are flying :-)

[@ja-canadian5451]

I would be interested if it had a horizontal version.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I think it would work well in a horizontal hive. Actually there is a fellow here on KZbin who builds horizontal flow hives. Have a look at his Channel @Horizontalbees kzbin.info/door/EUhmz1QuiiivRosypI_-hg

[@logans_league]

What you think about the alibaba flow frames?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I personally have never used them but if that is what it tales to set up a couple of hives have at it. :-)

[@7854scf1267]

I am that Unicorn!! Lol. Just starting to consider bees on my little farm. I will be checking out more of your videos. Thank you for the great info!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Awesome. You are going to love beekeeping. The flow hive is a neat novelty hive. That said If you are just starting and want to get into the hobby inexpensively I would highly recommend a couple of cheap Langstroth hives. Notice I said a couple. It is wise to start with two hives so you can share resources between the two hives and you can judge the health of one hive by looking at the other. They are inexpensive to get into and you will learn beekeeping much quicker. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to reach out. I hope to see you in future comments.

[@johnparry7917]

I take it with the flow hive you still have to clean the wax off the frames so the bees can refill them, if this is the case then they have to be removed to clean them, is this correct?

[@BugFarmerBees]

No sir. You do not have to clean the wax off of the frames. After harvest, the bees get to work removing cap wax and repairing the wax used to seal the flow frames. After the final harvest of the season I let the bees repair the comb before I remove the flow frames for storage until the following spring. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and thank you for taking the time to comment. Great question. Take care.

[@jasonthephoneboy]

What a great video! I just got a Flow Hive as my first one. I am getting bees today. I have gotten nothing but grief about it from local beekeepers. They are all commercial apiarists and to them, it's an expensive gimmick. But if you watch the weekly live Q&A from Flow, you can see the relationship with the bees is completely different than that of a commercial operation. One local guy went as far as to say they drug their bees to keep them so calm...

[@BugFarmerBees]

The Flow hive is a great system for the beginning beekeeper or the home hobbyist. The hives work very well and the harvest is less intrusive for the bees. Welcome to the world of beekeeping and thanks for taking the time to comment. If you want really good information on the Flow hive have a look at Frederick Dunn's channel. He is a master beekeeper who operates several of them and a lot of great information. Take care and I hope you come back to share in my adventures in beekeeping.

[@jasonthephoneboy]

@@BugFarmerBees I know Mr. Dunn's channel very well. I have spent at least a year researching if Bees are right for me. I have a small orchard of about 40 or so fruit trees on our homestead. They are all kinds from stonefruit to citrus and many types in between. My issue is that in my area, citrus blooms in Jan-Feb, and pollinators find them no issue, but peaches plums and nectarines get hardly any pollination at all. I think it is lack of interest. I have mason and leafcutter bees, but they emerge after 90% of my fruit trees have bloomed so I cannot expect them to be reliable. I Like Flow Hive and the hundreds of hours of information you can find on their KZbin as well as on their site. The customer service is top-notch. I don't want to have a bunch of hives, I need pollinators that can and will work all year and I like honey. Seems like a win-win for me. After pricing it out, it was roughly twice as expensive as a traditional Langstroth, but I also save on honey harvesting equipment and the time needed to harvest. One big difference is how the traditional beekeeping community has treated me for being a "Flow Hive Fanboy" ... Like they are completely unaware that serious beekeepers have tested them and think them to be a great innovation and good entry-level hives. It is frustrating to try to find local support, only to be talked down to. I'm no idiot and I chose what was best for me. Going forward though, if I choose to get a second hive, I will build my own. It will be a horizontal Langstroth (Like a top bar) with flow frames incorporated into it at some point. I think this could lessen the work needed to check brood. But for now, it's the FlowHive. I really do appreciate your thoughtful approach on the subject.

[@rickrapirio3798]

Well, it might work in Australia but not here. DOES NOT WORK. We have 12 master beekeepers here (soon to be 14) who cannot make these darn things work and we do not allow their use in our club apiaries. Period. When 12 beekeepers with over 300+ years of combined experience cannot make them work while trying every trick the factory people tell us to try, there is a big problem. Plus, there is the fact that they took in tons of crowdsourced funding and still charge insane prices for their product. Ethics? Not in Australia business I guess. Good luck! Stick to traditional methods and save yourself a lot of headaches. At our State beekeeping meetings, I’d say almost 100% of the beekeepers say “Hell No” to FlowHive. If you want to try them just for fun, you can get the Chinese knockoff frames on Amazon or other websites. I assume they work the same (they don’t), and you only spend about 1/4-1/3 the price of the Australian version.

[@jasonthephoneboy]

@@rickrapirio3798 " we do not allow their use in our club apiaries. Period." That sentence alone makes me cringe. And it's why I am getting treated the way I am. There are so many people keeping bees and so many opinions out there, but it's pretty clear the majority of commercial keepers are against the Flow Hive. It's a negative space to be in. At this point, I only have a Facebook presence in a couple groups, but I do not attend beekeeping groups/classes because it has already been made clear to me that Flow Hive is not accepted. I would also add, if 12 master beekeepers can't figure out how to make them work, then maybe someone should question their mastery. Obviously, they have mastered only one part of beekeeping, but have not mastered understanding the bees. The reason, you assume, that 100% of attendees at state meetings would feel that way is because people who think like you attend those state meetings. I would bet a very small portion, if any, of the attendees are simple backyard beekeepers with less than 5 hives. It's unfortunate that there is such a disconnect.

[@b.h.8421]

@@rickrapirio3798 Flow hives have trouble working in certain geographical areas. What seemed to be the problem that the apiarists couldn't solve? if it is crystallized honey then it has to do with the plants that your bees are getting pollen from

[@darksanity]

Hey bug farmer, can I become a "bee keeper" with just 1 flow hive? I probably wouldn't be able to manage more than one hive and this flow hive seems so amazing! Can you give any tips ?

[@BugFarmerBees]

You can but it's always better to have two hives. The second doesn't need to be a flow hive. It's good to have a second colony to acquire resources when necessary.

[@user-dc2zh2il3w]

The flow hive is amazing. When the patent wears off and it don't cost $1000. I will get one.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Here you go: a.co/d/6Q6TU1i. :-)

[@Ulfrich_Stormcock]

The $1000 price is for a bundle that has a suit and a bunch of other accessories and it seems like a reasonable price

[@DevinHeida]

Is it just one frame, or when you order, are you getting enough frames to fill the box?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Here you go. www.honeyflow.com/collections/flow-frames/products/flow-frames

[@craigweyna4072]

With a flow hive you would probably draw off honey more frequently. I would never leave them on over winter . If honey sugared in those you would have to disassemble them to use them again. I have also heard of people breaking the plastic frames before.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Craig. I wouldn't say you would have to draw them off more frequently but you can harvest a frame multiple times as long as the bees fill and cap it. I would never leave them on the hive over winter. I just don't think they were designed for that. Any dissembling them would be a pain. Thanks for stopping in to have a look and I hop you check out some of my other videos.

[@allangonzales5373]

Great video, I enjoyed every second of it.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks Allen. Thanks for stopping in and also for taking the time to comment. I hope I see you in future comments. Take care.

[@calholli]

There are "auto hives" on ebay with 2 levels and 7 flow frames for less than $300. Is this not the same thing?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Yes, they would operate the same as the flow hives but I cannot speak to their quality.

[@MissCanadian]

I always like watching and learning from your videos my friend

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks. I have been collecting copper heat-syncs from inside of computers and I may actually melt them down and see if I can make something. Every time I pull a computer apart to get one I think of you. :-) You are turning me into a scrapper. Actually it's hard not to be one you realize all of the $$ just laying around everywhere. :-)

[@JasonMorford]

Unicorn here. Just bought a house with 2 acres and lots of flowers and I thought about bees. One question I had about the flow is does it saved more of the wax on the comb so the bees dont have to rebuild it or do you have to extract it? I have to be missing something here.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Jason. You It is a great idea to save as much drawn comb as possible for use in the following season or new hives. After extracting the honey with an extractor let the bees clean out the frames simply by setting them out. The bees will find them and make quick work of recovering any honey the extractor doesn't get. When the bee are done cleaning the frames it is a good idea to freeze the drawn frames for 72 hours and then place them in a garbage bag for storage. If not the wax moths can get to them and ruin them. next season just before the flow add the empty but drawn frames to a super and set it on you hive. The bees will fill it quick. :-) To see an example of the bees cleaning the frames for you watch the massive harvest video and you will see us push out the wet honey frames to be cleaned and at the end you will see the bees cleaning them. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnPPppqghbZ9g7M Thanks for stopping in and for taking the time to comment. I appreciate you. Take care.

[@JasonMorford]

@@BugFarmerBees thanks for the reply. I was meaning basically how does the wax work with the flow super but I have been watching dunn's videos and he said the caps go but the comb wax just gets repairs led by the bees.

[@melaniehyche7470]

I'm in Birmingham alabama, trying to start bee keeping. I'm so overwhelmed. Like I don't know what's keeping a bee healthy and happy. Gonna order the flow hive. Feels like it's a good starter. Give me some advice please 🙏

[@BugFarmerBees]

My advice is to watch a number of KZbin beekeepers to familiarize yourself with the process of keeping bees. Also, when you are ready to begin beekeeping I would recommend starting with two hives. It is always good to have one to judge against the other and move resources around between the two of them when necessary. As for the flow hive, it is an expensive hive so just be aware you can start beekeeping for much less. You can buy a complete beehive kit on Amazon right now for under 150.00 , two for under 300.00 ( a.co/d/3oTuuDO ). Two Flow Hives would cost just under 2,000.00. The bees will be happy in either but your wallet will be happier with the cheaper setup. Also, if you are good with woodworking there is another option which would allow you to get info a flow type hive for much cheaper. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoHHfaKgq9SYj9U. I hope this answers your question and gets you started down the path to beekeeping. Take care.

[@moniquenaude8759]

I have a question for you if you have the time to answer??...we have flow hives and normal ones avail to us in south africa..i want to be become a beekeeper,what i have noticed is,extractors are expensive here,with the flow you dont need those..i dont mind getting into the hive to check things over at all..the honey extracting is just easier and not so messy with the flow hives correct??thats the only diff between the 2 i guess..in SA,its the same price to buy a normal hive + all the tools and buying a flow hive..flow just makes things a little easier?hope this makes sense to you 😁

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Monique. Great question. The first thing to understand is from a beekeeping standpoint the flow hive is no different than the Langstroth hive in the way it provides a home for the bees and a brood nest for the queen. If you buy a flow hive you will receive a Langstroth brood chamber and a flow super. Because they are both a standard Langstroth size you can add a normal Langstroth honey super to a flow hive either above or below the flow super. Now that that is out of the way let's get to the meat of the question, cost and value. I know that where I live in Georgia, USA I can but a complete langstroth set up from Amazon for $169.00 US (www.amazon.com/NuBee-Frame-Starter-Beehive-Kit/dp/B08KSHN8QW/ref=sr_1_3_sspa) and a manual honey extractor for $143.00 US (www.amazon.com/BestEquip-Extractor-Stainless-Beekeeping-Equipment/dp/B078N3G1PT/ref=sr_1_5) That provides me with everything I need to get started for under 400.00. Now, If I want to get the cheapest OEM flow hive from honeyflow.com it would cost $649.00 US. Considering just the cost and value of what I need I would select the Langstroth set up. That said, you can also find Chinese knock-offs on Amazon for $299.00 US (www.amazon.com/Lwestine-Automatic-Beginning-Professional-Beekeepers/dp/B08XLZ9M8D) So to sum it all up, it is completely up to you based on your wants and needs. If you plane to become a full fledged beekeeper with more than two hives I would highly recommend the Langstroth set up because it is cheap and all of the components are interchangeable with all of your other hives. if you plan on just having a couple of garden hives to pollinate and collect honey for your family, the flow hives may be the way to go. Sorry for the long answer but I hope it answered your question. Take care.

[@moniquenaude8759]

Thank you so much for the reply!!i wil take a good look at those,and shop around to see the price diff.i only plant to keep a few,maybe 3-4,for myself/family and the rest i wil sell at markets,also thanks for the info in this video!i have to take a course first,wil be doing that very soon!

[@MrsEmilyDM]

For a backyard beekeeper that doesn't want to end up with duplicating hives every year do you just let them swarm when you are full?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Hi Emily. Ideally, I want to keep all of my bees in their hives at least until after harvest. The more bees collecting nectar the better the harvest. That said; If, after the spring harvest, and if the hives want to swarm in the summer or fall, I will let them go. Replenish the feral bee population and get new queens for next year :-). Thanks for stopping in to have a look and for taking the time to leave a comment. Take care.

[@tomhall7905]

I would not recommend allowing bees to swarm. It's not responsible beekeeping because the swarm you let go may end up taking residence in someone's house and cost them a lot of money to have the bees removed. I have all the hives I want and don't want to make splits to gain more hive nor do I want to loose bees because most often a swarmed hive does not make honey that year or at least enough to support a honey super. What I do instead is throughout the early spring until summer I inspect my hives every 9 days and at the very early sign of swarming ( a egg or white jelly in a swarm cup) I remove the queen only. Once the queen is removed the hive thinks they have swarmed and they go about making the new queen they have started. After 4 days I go back to the hive and remove all the excessive queen cells to prevent virgin swarms and only leave one or two to hatch. This is called a artificial swarm. By doing this you retain your workforce of bees to make honey and your bees didn't swarm to possibly become a nuisance to someone.

[@EveyoneCallsMeTheDude]

Flow hive is what really got me into bee keeping. I got mine back in 2015 when they did their crowdfunding. I buy the cheap Chinese supers now when I need them. You can get 3-4 of them for what you can get a single flow super for, and their just as good. I think it’s sad that they’ve priced themselves into the space they are in. Not sure if they figure that people are only going to buy one Maybe two of these and be done. So that’s why.. but that’s where they are.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I agree 100% Scramblerdude! I didn't even put my flow hives out this year. Are flow was interrupted by a 3 week freeze that completely decimated our flow. There is always next year :-)

[@ricko2301]

Where can I find the Chinese type?

[@EveyoneCallsMeTheDude]

@@ricko2301 eBay has a ton of them. From what I can tell their all from the same place just different US and overseas sellers so you will find a spread in the price of about $20 or so.

[@scottgray7677]

How often do you have to clean the glass?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Actually, I never have cleaned it.

[@BiscuitBoyTN]

I see Mercer University in the background. I received my MBA from there in 1993.

[@BugFarmerBees]

Outstanding. I received my MBA from Mercer in 2010. Go Bears!

[@mohammedali6775]

Woow I like it

[@BugFarmerBees]

Me too. I Love your handle. I wanted to do the whole float like a butterfly and sting like a bee think but I'll bet you hear it all the time. Thanks for stopping in and I hope you get and enjoy the flow hive.

[@arnienermo5989]

Love your enthusiasm!

[@BugFarmerBees]

Back at ya! :-)

[@CastleHives]

You hit the nail on the head when you brought up that you still need to get into the hives. Folks were misled i think.

[@HeatherSaltas]

They do make it very clear now in their videos that keepers have to still get in the hive to take care of the bees.

[@CastleHives]

@@HeatherSaltas That is good. My area, they are just not worth it.

[@HeatherSaltas]

@@CastleHiveswhere are you located?

[@CastleHives]

@@HeatherSaltas NE Ohio.

[@HeatherSaltas]

@@CastleHivesI’m in northwestern Utah. A desert but I’m in a rural area so I get farms lol we get bad winters too but I think where you are gets a little worse lol

[@PeterSedesse]

My question is this. Once you harvest the honey, the bees really dont know. They are still seeing capped cells. How long do those capped, but empty cells sit there until the bees realize they are empty of honey.

[@BugFarmerBees]

That is a good question. The bee know right away. After emptying the frames and returning them to their original configuration the bees immediately begin removing the caps and resealing the seams between cells.

[@TrickyTrev01]

Excellent video and informative. Keep up the great work and videos. TrickyTrev 🇦🇺👍🐝🍯

[@BugFarmerBees]

Thanks Trevor. I am always grateful for appreciation. Thanks for stopping by and for taking time to comment. Take care.

[@estherlsuero8066]

It's will work in tropical places such as Dominican Republic?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I don't know for sure but I suspect it will work better there than it does in the States. The hive will work and function anywhere. A tropical environment means more nectar from more flowers.

[@IndonesianMommy]

are the nunchuks for pesty bees?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Ha. You saw those. We are a Tae-kwon-do family. I hope you stay to check out some of my newer videos. Thanks for stopping in to have a look. I appreciate you taking the time to drop a comment and I hope to see you in future comments.

[@theplumpginger7205]

If you can’t have more than two hives can you call someone local to take overflow?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I would assume you will have no problem giving excess bees away. Join your local bee club and make some contacts. Or..... Just let them fly away in a swarm. Thanks for stopping in and taking the time to drop a comment. I really appreciate it. Take care.

[@bradgoliphant]

My friend has six and after seeing them work I was sold. I purchased my first one and LOVE IT

[@BugFarmerBees]

This year I am going to run a "unique" flow hive configuration. :-)

[@jasonrasheed7670]

@@BugFarmerBees sounds interesting. Can you pls be more specific? What do you mean "unique"?

[@BugFarmerBees]

I implemented the unique configuration yesterday. The video should be out in about two weeks :-) Don't you hate it when people do that :-). Thanks for stopping in. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.

[@bradgoliphant]

@@BugFarmerBees Hey, my hive went out in the garden today and my bees arrived in 5 days--Very soon I will be a beekeeper AGAIN! I'm super stoked.

[@FuriousImp]

@@bradgoliphant How's it looking?

[@JamieS1992]

what if you open the comb and there is a bee in a comb filling it?

[@BugFarmerBees]

Good question. The bee will have room to retreat out of the comb. Also, if the frame is full and capped you won't have to worry about that :-)

[@burnsreviews9330]

The Chinese frames and the flow hive frames work the same iv tried the both and the bees take very well to them after added bees wax with a paint roller. If your a good wood worker you can buy the frames for $120 and build the box yourself in mass i ran 16 "flow hives" last year and this year ill be running 32 this year they are fantastic

[@BugFarmerBees]

That is awesome. Would you be willing to share a picture or video of your operation. I would love to show that many flow hives in use on my channel. It would be neat to see. My email address is on the "About" tab of the Bug Farmer channel page.

[@burnsreviews9330]

@@BugFarmerBees maybe next year. I'm not ready to give people all my ideas... If I did that all the products I use/make everything would go up in price...

[@Ma007rk]

In my opinion, having the honeycomb's already made should allow the Bee's to focus their attention and energy to making honey, and taking care of the Queen. But then again, what do I know?

[@BugFarmerBees]

You know a lot. That is exactly how it works. That is why we beekeepers see drawn comb as gold. It saves the bees a lot of time and honey. Great comment!

[@mikemotorbike4283]

until the bear bites into it. :)

[@mjp5318]

I know this video is a year old, I was curious about your thoughts on the flow hive frames... People have said they are too heavy when full, especially splitting the hive, as well as the mechanics of the boards, do break and you are stuck buying in sets of 3 or 5 frames as a package deal (and that is a expensive cost) instead of individual frames, just wondering if this has happened to you ?

[@BugFarmerBees]

The frames are heavy when full but I guess that is a good thing because you drain them into jars directly from the hive. As far as the frames reliability, I have to say I have been operating the same two flow hives for four years and haven't had the first mechanical issue with them. The frames are just as solid now as when I first started using them. I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping in to have a look, I hope I see you in future comments. Take care.

[@mjp5318]

@@BugFarmerBees thanks for getting back to me, I have become a recent subscriber and really enjoy watching your videos.

[@williambowers5994]

Thank you very much for the information

[@BugFarmerBees]

My pleasure, I hope it helps. Take care.

[@ridingvenus]

In my experience I find (I haven’t tried all Apimaye products but I see no better queen system (Queen defender)…the multipurpose feeders…and the bottom/pollen boards…on the market) Apimaye to 🐝 the best enterence entry &/or expert level keepers…I do wanna try flow but it will bee a custom built if/when I do.

[@BugFarmerBees]

I have just the solution for you :-). kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoHHfaKgq9SYj9U