Overwintering - Flow Hive in cold climates Q&A 🐝🍯

For more info visit www.honeyflow.com or follow us on Facebook for our weekly Wednesday live videos pg/flowhive/...

[@FrederickDunn]

Ah yes, time to settle in for a coffee break and watch another fun interview with a flowhive enthusiast from a colder climate. There is no question and we have a wonderful new wave of backyard beekeepers because of the sensation caused by "Flow-Technology". 40% of all bee related questions I receive are regarding this wonderful invention. At 06:50 that is some of the most sought after honey in the world! One of my strongest colonies to come through winter was just in a single 8 frame Flow-Hive 2 Deep uninsulated (we had a terribly challenging winter) the Flir Camera is a valuable tool as he described, I can see where the cluster is and gauge how much honey is above them. It's key to shield them from wind - as long as they cluster strong, they do fine. Yes, remove the flow-supers for winter, then put them back in spring when you know which colonies are most productive :) Australia is a fabulously diverse place - thank you as always for sharing!

[@LarryLeesBees]

So good to see you on this thread Mr. Dunn. Two of my favorite days of the week are Cedar’s live Q&A and your Friday FAQ’s! I am harvesting today!!! I’m excited! I’ll send you my link when I get it posted! Hope your having a wonderful 4th!

[@FrederickDunn]

@@LarryLeesBees Hi Larry! Well, you have good taste then :) I am working through the 4th, but still enjoying summer! The entire apiary is pumping! Milkweed has come into full bloom. Glad you're doing so well!

[@fionmor4893]

I ordered Manuka bushes for my garden .... all different colors.... can't wait till my Flow Hive Bees get into them.... Australia is magnificent country wow....

[@BradGrassforest]

Flow hive is the hive that got me into beekeeping aswell, although I don't use flow hives myself. But the idea was so good and simple that I started researching and reading about bees and now I'm so into that new hobby that it's consuming all my free time. 🐝 are awesome

[@clairehenderson7278]

i live in Utah and am looking forward to my first adventure with flow hive. Honey harvest time is around late August. I plan on harvesting honey from the flow hive , let the bees clean them off the flow frames and store them, do i give them a second deep brood box to make stores for winter?

[@FlowHive]

It would be best to leave honey for the bees, will the bees have enough time to fill another box after you have harvested in lat August, you might find it best to remove the Flow Super earlier, or leave the last harvest of the season on the hive for the bees to consume from the Flow Frames. -Kieran

[@cathydenomme5460]

My grandchildren and I decided to try beekeeping this past summer and we love it! We did get some delicious honey and are now trying to figure out how to set the bees up for success this winter. We live in Northern Ontario and get up to -30 degree weather. We also get approximately 300cm of snow. any advice?

[@Actias1974]

Lol, nice “winter”

[@melbornben]

I am from canada, I was wondering if you guys will produce at fully insulated flow hive in the future?

[@locoproductions343]

melbornben me too this will be my first winter with the flow hive and I think I’m not going to harvest in fall and keep it on for winter

[@kimberleebell98]

We an get -40C in winter. I think insulation would be necessary!

[@luyzsantos6553]

Very good my brother. Man, How do I get started in Brazil?

[@FlowHive]

We can ship to Brazil. www.honeyflow.com/shop/shipping/p/25 -Kieran

[@philhenderson8125]

is there anywhere one can get a sugar shake kit in Aus

[@elijahheyokanobody3550]

I want to buy one so bad

[@fionmor4893]

if you have not checked for mites... how do you know you don't have them?.... at least put the mite-away quick strips in

[@jondunit6232]

How/what do the bee's eat during the winter if you take the super off ?

[@cherrywolf759]

Bakers fondant I keep hearing is really good for winter

[@kimbopadilla2149]

When we ordered our Flow it didn’t come with the brackets to make the shelf for the Honey collection- how do I get those?

[@locoproductions343]

Kimbo Padilla go on the website and they sell them for flow hive classic

[@FirNaTine66]

In the video you mentioned that you would put a link to the thermal imaging photo but I didn't find it.

[@FlowHive]

Ill see if I can chase it down for you. -Kieran

[@FlowHive]

PM us on FB and I will share the thermal images. I am unable to upload them here

[@FirNaTine66]

@@FlowHive thank you so much

[@rajinbin]

Do you have to take the flow hive box off every winter or can you leave it on all year round and it will be fine to leave and if so will it need to be cleaned before the bees can use it again?

[@FlowHive]

It depends on your area, some areas have a year long beekeeping season, some will just need honey stores in the Flow Super to feed on, others might need the hive to be packed down to reduce space, if this is done store the Flow Frames in an airtight bag or container and they should be right to return to the hive in spring. If not you can clean them soaking in warm water. -Kieran

[@chickensinthecity1857]

My hive suffered a infection of small hive beetles over summer, and we finally drove them out, but we live in Iowa an winter is about to hit. We took off the super, and I feel like I need to feed them. Any tips on what to give them? And how?

[@FlowHive]

Hey there, thanks for the question :) sorry to hear about your hive beetle infection. It's quite hard to advise you on such things from all the way down here in Oz, not being in vicinity or knowing so many unique factors that influence your hive. Understanding what the feeding requirements are for your bees should be sourced locally, and we recommend doing additional research about when to feed bees and why online. For this reason, we advise joining your local beekeeping club for local guidance and advice in your region. www.honeyflow.com.au/pages/bee-club-directory The 2 main reasons to feed a colony for their survival include: 1. to save them from starvation (e.g. before winter to reach minimum required honey stores, or after winter if they're critically low before the spring flow begins) 2. to stimulate comb production for a new colony make sure they can store enough honey for winter Our online community forum is also a great place to receive input from other experienced beekeepers - there's a section called Connect With Locals where hopefully you can seek opinions from those in similar climate/area to you. forum.honeyflow.com/c/connect-with-locals/23 I hope this helps! Please let us know how you go. - Danika

[@hollydevine5357]

Fondant starting in Feb. 2:1 sugar water in the meantime. Hive beetles are annoying but not fatal.

[@DianeHasHopeInChrist]

Dude.....we had more snow then Michigan? Not likely. Our season, here in Idaho, snow start in October, last snow 3rd weekend in May. And I live in southeast Idaho.

[@bradgoliphant]

Any chance we could have Ryans email. I live in nyc and have no idea how to prepare a flow for winter.

[@user-hr6hg8fs4e]

Is flow hive suitable in semi-arid regions such as North Africa?

[@FlowHive]

Hi there, Flow Hives are suitable wherever traditional beekeeping is suitable, the only difference is the harvesting. - Sam

[@lindalee9946]

Is there an email address that I could contact with some questions I don’t alway see videos live and I have more questions going into my third winter in Canada and I have not had a successful over winter yet.

[@FlowHive]

Email us at [e-mail], you can find a lot of the information we have on winter here. support.honeyflow.com/wintering-your-flow-hive/ -kieran

[@christineokrasinski-smith4599]

So you take off the super for winter?

[@FlowHive]

Hi Christine, it depends where you are in the world, how full your super is and the honey stores available for your colony. Wintering a Flow Hive is very similar to wintering a traditional Langstroth Hive, and wintering varies greatly around the world. Here is some further info: support.honeyflow.com/wintering-your-flow-hive/ but it’s always important to seek local knowledge from other beekeepers in your area. There are two main concerns for a beehive over the winter months; the colony starving, and the queen becoming stranded below the queen excluder. If you have a reasonably full Flow Super at the end of your nectar flow season you can leave it on the hive for the bees to use over the coming months. This will ensure they will not starve; however, you also need to ensure the queen can access these honey reserves. During a cold winter the bees do not forage but will steadily use up the honey stores in order to stay warm. The queen will not be laying brood at this time, so the colony will cluster around the honey that it is consuming. This means that the cluster may gradually move up into the honey super over winter. If you have a queen excluder in place she will not be able to move up with the colony and will die. Therefore, it is recommended that you remove the queen excluder as part of your preparation for winter. Some cold climate beekeepers prefer to reduce their hive to one box, the brood box, over winter. There are usually one or two frames of honey on each side of the brood, and this plus the option of feeding them a sugar solution either before or after the coldest months gets the colony through the winter. This eliminates issues with the queen excluder and there are advantages to the bees being confined to a smaller space. If you decide to take this approach, at the end of your nectar flow season extract the honey in the FlowSuper and leave it in place for a day for the bees to clean, then remove the Flow Super with frames and queen excluder and replace the top cover and roof on the brood box adding some insulation in between. To store your Flow Frames wash them in warm to hot water and allow them to dry thoroughly before storing them in a cool, dry, dark location for the winter. Please email [e-mail] if you need further assistance - Leah.

[@louisejones7167]

@@FlowHive when you take off the flow super can you just freeze the frames with the honey still in if it’s not ready to harvest? Then thaw out and put back on in spring for them?

[@lyons1973]

Do you ever have to wash the flow hives

[@Krullfath]

maybe after 5-10 years, but it's pretty easy, just put it in hot water that isn't too hot to damage the plastic

[@paigegough6929]

Bees love borage and sweet alyssum.

[@jorgegress3430]

En qué país se encuentran ?

[@Krullfath]

Australia they mentioned

[@jayp4083]

Dude, you sooooooo have varroa. Talk with your bee club and do an alcohol wash. Otherwise you will not have your first two colonies next year.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Jay, I share your concerns on that one, based on his description at 19:00 with mites showing up in the tray oil, I would definitely recommend a stronger look at the nurse bees and do a meaningful count.

[@ajoydas7788]

Thank you very much. Very nice Bee Box. I want this Bee Box. How meny R S =????? This Bee Box. I am Indian. I want this Bee Box.