FLOW HIVE - Why I haven't used it.

[@vinofarm]

🌹🌷🌼"MAYBE YOU SHOULD PLANT FLOWERS TO HELP THE BEES DURING THE DEARTH." 🌺🌸🌼 This comment keeps coming up over and over. You're not the first one to think about it! In fact, the season before we got bees, we plowed, disced and tilled an acre of our field RIGHT NEXT TO THE BEE YARD and planted a full acre of bee-friendly wild flowers. We spent hundreds of dollars on seed. Unfortunately, we also had the driest summer in recent history that year so the flowers did not produce like we hoped. 2016 Record-breaking drought. (No water, no nectar) I'm sure what did come up helped, but it was not the success we had hoped for. Knowing we had a solid acre of wildflowers in the ground in 2016, we decided to plant a SECOND ACRE on the other side of the bee yard to add more flowers. So we plowed, disced and tilled a second acre and planted buckwheat, sweet clover and alfalfa. The buckwheat came up and produced a very thick stand of flowers all through June and a little into July. Unfortunately, the alfalfa did nothing. No germination. The clover germinated, but quickly was taken over by grass and sod that came right back up right after we seeded. To make things worse, the acre of field we had planted with wildflowers the previous summer (2016) reverted right back to exactly what it looked like before we started planting. So it was basically just a grassy meadow with native pasture flowers. The several hundred dollars of wildflower seed just disappeared and didn't come back the second season. That patch is where the majority of our goldenrod is, so I am hesitant to do too much to disturb it now. That goldenrod is right next to the bees and they really need it in September. We are going to try re-tilling the second acre and replanting buckwheat and some different types of clover this spring. It's a crap-ton of work, time and money. It is a little sad to walk out in that field and throw hundreds of dollars onto the ground and not know if it is even going to grow. Believe me, we are doing everything we can to help the bees. We just can't control the weather.

[@scottrobbins9320]

Yeah. Its expensive. I have a few wild flower beds in preparation for my bees. Buying 2x 5lbs bags of local wild flower bee friendly mix is about $250 each year. Two years in a row now. Cant imagine an acre field! I can see the flowers are starting to take control of the ground and push out the 'weeds'. The other problem is about half the flower types don't seem to come up the next year. My plan is to get the town to promote a bee friendly town, by creating maybe tax breaks, or free seed for residents that want to dedicate a portion of their land to flowers. I'll have to figure it out. Some of the local members of the bee club seem interested in helping. Not sure what you can do with needing to plant THAT much land. Seems too expensive. Guess it depends on the number of hives and amount of honey. Good luck!

[@vinofarm]

I just ordered 50lbs of buckwheat seed yesterday. Yay!

[@drrota]

I agree with the above ^^^^ . Trees provide the best nectar flows - like 50x more than flowers. But flowers do help in a dearth. In winter, in my area, folks buy safflower seeds to feed the birds. Why not just plant them? - Bags of safflower (bird food) are pretty cheap: www.beeculture.com/seed-oilseed-crops-bee-plants/ - "safflower blossoms are a top choice among bees".

[@triplemania5550]

Next up... 🌹🌷🌼"MAYBE YOU SHOULD MAKE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM TO HELP THE FLOWERS."🌺🌸🌼 Haha great videos man thanks. There's so much to consider when keeping bees. Maybe I'll do it one day :)

[@1voluntaryist]

Consider no-till gardening (permaculture) and work with the indigenous plants. DO NOTHING based on conjecture lest you make unnecessary trouble by presuming. There must be successful bee-keepers near. Ask them.

[@donaldsmith3048]

One thing you can see do to help is plant sweet clover. It will not make a super difference but sweet clover builds up the soil and they have flowers and will help some. Sweet clover is a legume. Look that up legume put nitrogen in the soil. They also have a lot of flowers. It is something that will not cost a lot of money but will make a little difference. Sweet clover may take years to realy get going. Plant some the next year there should be a little more sweet clover. Over time you should have a good amount of sweet clover. Each year you should get more. No it will not give you a lot of honey but will give a little more. Sweet clover will grow like grass maybe a little taller. But after time most of the grass area will have sweet clover adding a new flower for the bees. Next plant fruit trees! You get the fruit and the bees get the flowers. This is not a ONE THING deal Look at all the parts. You want more honey put things around to help them make honey. When you add things make the things that will build you soil of give something to eat.

[@Gardens4Life]

This is the most informative video I have watched and could be easily called “Factors You’d Never Consider Before Becoming A Bee Keeper”! You share so much great information while you share your Flow story. Thanks you for a great video! Fingers crossed for you this year!

[@vinofarm]

Turns out there's a LOT of factors you'd never consider before becoming a beekeeper. That's sort of the theme of my channel!

[@timothykennedy721]

Oh, I forgot to mention, I have two Flow hives one regular and one hybrid and also have yet to use one to harvest honey. I had one of them on the hive for a couple months last year and the bees came up, ran around, and used it for a rec room but never put any honey in it. They got snippy when I wouldn't put in a pool table...

[@blisterbill8477]

You realize that billiard bees are pretty lazy. Fooz bees on the other hand...

[@pattycastle7863]

Last summer we put our Flow on our strongest hive. The Bees didn’t touch it but we got a great ants nest. Flow suggested painting it with Bees wax. That sounds discouraging to me as it’s as if you need to trick them into using it. I think a Flow Hive is a waste of money.

[@carlotta4th]

@Patty Castle I don't think a one time waxing is such an inconvenience for easy harvesting.

[@ponyvet77]

From what I've seen online, the biggest issue getting started with flowframes is getting the bees to accept them and prep them. Once they get going a strongish hive will fill them surprisingly fast in a strong nectar flow. I would still put it on your strongest hive to let them prep the frames this year so that they're ready to go for a good flow year

[@michaelsmith7425]

Your channel has been one of my go to channels while I was researching beekeeping and has remained so since I started last year. It was so strange to see your bee yard with just one hive in it @ 3:41 and no shrubs around the outside!!! Keep up the great thoughtful well explained vids :)

[@vinofarm]

You gotta start somewhere! Thanks for the support.

[@beardcraft7020]

Thanks alot, i guess you just saved me some frustration (living in Sweden) ..I just have to see further down the road if Flow hive is something i can use, but i start up with some classic ones.

[@ernestozuniga3495]

Thank you for your informative videos. I will be taking the classes at U of M for Beekeeping. Here in Minnesota we have brutal winters. At the same time we have flowers that bloom before the snow is completely gone. May I suggest that you talk to your local plant nurseries and plan your flower blooming for the whole summer. Again thank you.

[@yankos_]

Dude, the only difference between a flow hive setup and a longstrop is the FH has taps to take honey, when required. Just set it up and see how it goes... :-)

[@Lychee-Nut]

One point someone brought up elsewhere is: Its supposed to be convenient way to get honey, but unless you buy $600 flow-hive for every hive, you still will need to do traditional extractions, so it doesn't save you time for that money. If you have a single hive, you could just buy a food-grade bin, and a mesh, then uncap and let it passively drain while you go do something else, and doing that is not much more time-costly than using the flow-hive.

[@traceymartin1638]

Hi. I’m a little confused. I thought the flowhive super was just the same as a standard super, but the honey was collected in a different “easier” way. So if your bees weren’t producing enough honey to fill the brood box and the flowhive super then what difference will a standard super make??

[@vinofarm]

With standard frames, I can shuffle them around between hives if necessary and not-quite-full frames can still remain in the hives for winter for the bees to consume. Or if only one frame is ready for harvest, I can just pull that one frame. There is total flexibility. On the other hand, if the flow frames are not 100% full and capped, they cannot be harvested. This is not a problem in a warm climate. They can just stay in the hive until the bees fill them. However, we have a very short season and the flow frames must be removed once our fall hits and the freezing nights start. If the frames are not ready to harvest, I need to take them them indoors, where the unfinished nectar will ferment. The bees won’t get the honey and neither will I. It’s a lose-lose situation.

[@Segorean]

According to your explanation, flow frames or not, you'd be lucky to get any honey at all... yay! Btw, you are a great "teacher" you are very articulate and conveying the relevant information, great job, thank you for sharing!

[@vinofarm]

That's nice of you to say. Thanks for watching.

[@Wandrative]

Aura Todoran This is what I agree. Its not the flow frame, it is that the bees are not producing more honey. Why not use the flow frame for the 2nd floor? I saw a bunch of honey being wasted and not consumed through the winter in his flow colony. He could have harvested it.

[@maryries4044]

Next season Vino will produce 800 pounds of honey without even trying. Better stock up on 5-gallon buckets and figure out what you prefer. We buy the buckets from a store called Rural King because they sell white buckets with a #2 on the bottom. The lids at Rural King suck and don't fit well. They pop loose and ants get in. (That's no good) We get the lids from Menards. The buckets come from Century Container Corporation and the lids come from another company called Encore Plastics Corporation. We shopped around and had a bad experience and corrected it by purchasing buckets and lids separate. We were using Menards buckets too. Then one day one cracked open and split down the side. Before you could say "spit" we had 5 gallons of honey on the floor. Losing 60 pounds of honey valued at $5/pound stings.

[@tomasjosefvela1]

couldn't have said that better!

[@vinofarm]

Here's an analogy I thought of while I was out walking the dog... Say you've always wanted to learn how to swim and you didn't know anything about swimming and you came across someone selling swim fins with a really compelling ad about how swim fins can enhance your swimming experience. So you buy the swim fins and get really excited to learn how to swim. However, you live in Canada and your local swimming pond has ice on it 6 or 8 months a year. So you wait until the perfect warm summer day to go swimming and realize you can't use your new swim fins because you still need to learn how to swim. Then you spend the summer learning to go underwater, dog paddle, tread water... all the basics. Cold weather comes and your pond freezes and you hang up your swim fins for the winter. The next year, you get a little better at swimming and never take out your swim fins because you realize the "traditional" finless swimming method was OK and you really didn't get to swim all that much anyway. The fact remains that there are tons of very happy people in the Caribbean, who live on the beach who love their swim fins and use them every day. The swim fins are a perfectly fine product that greatly enhance their swimming experience. However, the people living up north probably don't really need them all that much.

[@markoverman9628]

Makapu'u Beach O'ahu Hawai'i one the best body surfing places in Hawai'i!!

[@sibus42022]

half acre of Purple giant hyssop, 2 Sumac (Staghorn) trees, 2 Sumac (Smooth) per five hives, and you won't get that bad of a dearth in mid summer. Yes it takes a couple of years for the trees to grow but worth it in the end.

[@T289c]

North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana are the 3 TOP Honey producing states in the country. And Minnesota, Michigan and New York are in the TOP Ten. It's not the winter that's causing the low flow.

[@justinjoy1471]

700 dollar swim fins I see

[@drrota]

Those are great plants to have, and any late summer blossoming plants work great. I'm about 20 miles away from Vino Farm and the dearth I had in the past 2 years was solely due to drought. No water = no nectar. Even with great plantings, if there's no water, then you'll get poor nectar and pollen. For folks thinking about beekeeping - make sure your hives are near a natural water source - brook, stream, pond, or well irrigated farm... That's the best way to insure the plants can produce nectar and good pollen in a drought.

[@stevecox8948]

on the brightside, it was your flow hive video that first brought me to your channel ages ago. and ive been a subscriber since. i look forward to your videos this year :) p.s your channel is probably the best ive seen for beginners to get into beekeeping.

[@vinofarm]

Thank you. Yes, I realize the Flow Hive is the reason this channel took off to begin with. So, thanks, Flow Hive. I appreciate your kind words!

[@CristaFunderburk]

Vino Farm What steve said! I subscribed to the channel for the same reason he did and while I've been curious about why you haven't put the flow hive on, I never really cared because you do have the best videos out there and I've learned so much! I started one year after you and I'm in Texas so I've had to learn to adjust accordingly since we really don't have winters in central Texas... Not compared to y'all anyway. I just made it through my first winter and am going into my second year with the 2 hives I started with, thanks to your guidance. So, here's a big heartfelt Texas "thank you"! 😊

[@whiterose686]

Ditto! I have grandiose ideas about being a beekeeper so it's been very interesting to learn about it. Great explanation on your situation! I look forward to seeing how this summer goes for you! Long Live Queen Balboa's Lineage! :)

[@vinofarm]

Awww.

[@CliffsideStables]

And I still think about how many bottles of honey one could purchase with $1,100? What is the right way to go???

[@albigensian4655]

i live in sth wales in the uk, our winters are not quite as long or cold, season starts in april, it's possible to get a spring crop here but not always, i started my 1st year april 2022 with 2 flow hives, from 2, 6 frame nucs, we do get a june gap (dearth) but it's only for a week or so and may or may not happen at all dependant on area/year, i had an issue with one hive as the queen in the nuc was injured and got superceeded did not get a great deal out of that hive, but the second hive, well that was just great, once the flow started the bees went from empty flow frames to full in 6 days (linden trees were flowering) i waited too long before extracting thinking the back window would fill up, had i not waited i may well have got three full flow supers off it but it ended up being just the two, flows supers off mid-august for varroa treatment and plenty of time for bees to fill up with winter stores by nov.

[@jmeilhan]

I do not think a flow hive is for cold weather country

[@stevehappe8583]

We are all so very vulnerable to the weather aren't we?

[@Khanstant]

Sounds like cold weather country are bad for beekeeping

[@darkranger116]

I really want to get into beekeeping when i can get my own place and really like the idea of having a low impact design for a collection process. I think the flow hive can work up in the new england area, it just needs to be reinforced somehow.

[@Rrailroad3]

Check out Frederick Dunn’s page, he has 2 flow hives and i believe he is in Pennsylvania and has no problem extracting.

[@AJ-ox8xy]

@@Khanstant yes cold weather bee keepers really have to invest in alot more infrastructure so their bees survive the winter. But it can be done.

[@rooster3019]

No "tree nectar" up there? My bees were cutting into maple buds on any warm day in mid February to March, Persimmon, Tulip Poplar, Black Gum (Tupelo) and sourwood. Tulip poplar is the build-up and winter stores, I try to keep the Tupelo and and Sourwood.

[@PilotMcbride]

G'day from downunder!! You are so right about our weather. In Australia we have 90% of our country does not have snow or temps under -2degC (28F). Only 10% drops to maybe -8C. Where I live, 30 deg S Lat, 80 naut miles from the E coast as the crow flies, our minimum, minimum temp has been -4.5C, basically shorts & T shirt weather all year round. Local temp variation from 45C to -4C and we don't get snow, definitely no snow. We don't even have a permanent snow line. Although I am not a beekeeper, I can truly understand exactly what you are saying. I commend the work you have done and your comments. I'd like to get into bee keeping, atm I do my "apiarying" through you my friend. Yes I do watch others, but enjoy your work (more) and look forward to your videos (addicted). Keeping bees helps your local environment stay strong and vital, that is very important. With each passing year your bees will get stronger and stronger through natural selection, hang in there, the flow hive will be in use, I can feel it in my bones. The learning curve you are on, and the information you publish helps others along their individual paths, and that is bloody brilliant. You are building a massive bank of good Karma. To coin an Aussie saying......... "Maaaaaaate, ya dun good!!!!"

[@mrkitcatt2119]

Pilot McBride I miss Australia 😥

[@PilotMcbride]

Expat Alex? Mate we're easy to find. If you're coming from the East and see Indonesia, turn left or from the West, turn right, can't miss us, lol. I'm busting a gut to get out of here for a rest (been here 64 years with a short break best forgotten), saving for a short trip to the States in a couple of years hopefully visit a few friends. As a people we haven't changed all that much, but our political arena seems to have taken a sharp turn to the right (bordering on fascism) and the loud mouth boobs seem to have taken control. Love this channel, would love to care for some bees but my health puts a damper on it unfortunately. Thanks for the shout, really appreciate it, don't be a stranger to the Land Down Under :)

[@mrkitcatt2119]

Pilot McBride aye gotta alot of family down and used to live there beautiful and exciting place

[@PilotMcbride]

Come back soon mate!!!!!

[@happycamper4329]

Pilot McBride You've obviously never been to Perisher, Thredbo, Snowy Mountains in general, Canberra, or even some parts of Tassie! T-shirts and shorts all year round?! Born in a tent were you?! What a bloody croc!

[@nickyj3343]

Send me the box..I live in Victoria Australia..You are right we really don't experience snow, only on our tall mountains. But you have made me feel better were I live, Im always complaining how cold winter is here...Its nothing like what you guys experience.

[@OkieRob]

Bee keeping is a like a box of chocolates .8-)

[@SpiinM8]

But you know you gonna get honey

[@calebvonweichardt7785]

And in a box of chocolates you know you are gonna get chocolate ;D

[@robertkaldor8724]

Gday mate ..Great videos .. I’m in Australia and yes prob have no winter like you... stupid question but what is a dearth and golden rod flow ??? Is nectar being available from flowers what u call golden rod flow ??

[@LuficariusRatspeed]

So, if using normal hives you have a lack of honey, why place emphasis on the flow hive? Just seems like there's a lack of honey overall.

[@vinofarm]

Not bashing the Flow Hive. It's just that I get asked all the time why I haven't used it. The issue we have with the Flow Hive is the need to completely fill a frame in order to harvest the honey. I can put regular Langstroth supers on any time. If they fill one or two or only half of all of them, the frames are still harvestable OR fine to be left in a hive for winter. The Flow Frames come off in October whether they're filled or not. If they're all 75% capped at that point, they're wasted. I can't harvest a 75% capped Flow frame and I can't leave it over the winter for the bees. It's all or nothing. That's the conundrum. This problem is specific to the Flow Frames.

[@ramonmartinez89]

very interesting and very nice of you to share....i live in the equator..and my sister have a plot of land in a very wooded community and wondered if it is agood place to start off a simple set up?

[@vinofarm]

Ramon Martinez If you live on the equator and near a source of nectar, you will love the flow hive.

[@yamatoyazuyuki7049]

So the flow hive is perfect for where I live after hearing that is mostly for hot-warm weather because I live in Trinidad and Tobago and we don't have winter(we have a DRY season, Rain season and fall). But I do still have mix feelings about it and after watching this video this Really opened my mind if I want to live that has a winter and I wanted to start with a flow hive. 🤔

[@beekeepermariadelgado6806]

I did not like how they had a fundraiser saying they needed millions to start up. We had one of the reps from Australia saying they got all the money to start up but they need more money actually several million more and come to find out they had the Chinese make them at their factories. Initially they were going to build a factory in Australia but took most of 5he money. In my opinion they are shisters. Later come to find out the Chinese copied the design and are selling a Flow hive really cheap. Being a beekeeper for 8 years I am quite confident in my skills and have no need for the trash Flow Hive. I have a mere 100 hives and use the honey my bees have made to supplement my prescriptions.

[@samalmer]

Thanks for the information, I’m a second year beekeeper I had one good hive and one split I ended up losing both hives. I live in North West Montana where we have very cold winter like you have we are at 4000’. I have two flow hives and am waiting for a package bees in May.

[@saraelias8159]

have you ever thought of planting wildflowers where are you live??????

[@DreamyDuskywing]

Sara Elias I’m pretty sure he has two meadows of planted wildflowers 😊

[@ernestozuniga3495]

Hi Sara wild flowers are an excellent choice. We can also get more precise with the specific plants that flower during dearth months. Thank you.

[@angelmoon3387]

There is something I've been thinking about at 3:40 when I saw your hive. Why don't you have a "beeshed"? Here in Bavaria a lot of the Beekeepers I know have a little shed built around there hives. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bienenhaus I guess those help the bees at least a little bit to keep warm during winter, 'cause those can be mostly the same as you describe.

[@jo-han]

Well since you now have multiple hives and each winter a hive that dwindles (and or dies) you might want to use another strategy for just a little bit of honey harvest in non-optimal years. You put one or two flow frames in the flow box and the rest of the space you fill with normal frames. If that one flowframe gets filled with honey you harvest only that one, ones a year. Once harvested and the frame is cleaned by the bees you switch the box and take out the flow frame and put in a normal frame. They only have one frame to add honey :) To support strong hives getting through the last bit of winter you'll need the weak hives and you'll need to combine them making sure the food is used by a strong hive. If a hive dies, freeze the honey frames and use those to get stronger hives through winter. Deepfreeze for 2 months kills pests, honey will be fine once thawed. If you have 10-30 frozen frames full of honey as a backup then hives not making it in Sep/Okt or Feb/Mar/Apr can still be given good honey. And you won't have to worry about harvesting 2-3 frames of fresh honey in Jun/Sep. You've already experienced that there can be other issues bugging the hive to get it to dwindling. Once that dealt with the short nectar flow is over and adding frames from your backup would fix it. Yes I know you don't have 30 frames of honey backup, and it might take you multiple years the get to that amount to store but eventually you will. You might want to "travel" with a hive putting it near a neighboring meadow about 3-10 miles away during good honey flows. While wintering it in your own backyard. Then you might expand to 5 hives of which 2-3 survive winter. 2 hives dying during winter would leave you with 4-10 frames of backup honey.

[@vinofarm]

Excellent, excellent ideas. Thank you, as always, jo han!

[@cultleader6977]

I have a auto flow hive and I live in Connecticut I have no issues

[@GOLDSINVES]

I am almost down the street from you in Belmont MA. I started watching you to learn from you, and compare bees. ( also a new bee keeper) My bees did good the 1st year and I used my flow hive the 1st year. (I used waxed frames, maybe that speeded the process) In the Summer of my 2nd year they all died, maybe swarmed. My 3rd year now, I am going to start all over again with a package bee. I believe if you start with a strong hive in the spring, flow hive will work. I love your videos, you say you are a new bee keeper, but we all learn so much from you. Good Job, Thank You.

[@vinofarm]

I have friends in Belmont! Actually, you have an advantage over there. City bees do GREAT. There is so much variety for nectar sources and all packed really close together. Plus you're a couple stops up on the weather zone charts. Good luck and thanks for the kind words.

[@fionmor4893]

I bought the flow frames because the technology was so intriguing.... and I know this product has generated thousands of new bee keepers.... so I am grateful for this.... encouraging new keepers .... so I appreciate your situation....

[@granttabor1338]

No one should look at a flow hive till you have real strong hives. When I got mine I had a hive that was two brood box's and a super. I put the flow hive on top with a queen excluder and got good honey but the hive was about 3 or 4 years old and I had never taken any stores from them just left them from year to year.

[@paulshimer1870]

Yes sir, i have been around bees since i was a kid, and he is just starting. You have to have super strong hives to get good honey period.

[@Ozhar1]

Can you not feed your bees in the weaker months? Forgive my lack of beekeeping knowledge, but can't you feed them a variety of syrups when nectar is not available?

[@vinofarm]

They are fed when there is no nectar available.

[@drootopia]

Thanks for this video. I am in same environment as you and have been wanting a flow hive. My initial investment for my first bees was just deeps and a couple mediums. Was lucky to have a mentor tell me to start off that way. After 6 months of beekeeping I realize the flow hive will not be needed for a couple years. Great video and again thanks for your explainations!

[@Stikker021]

Deeps for brood boxes (1 at the bottom) and shallows for supers. Mediums full of honey are so HEAVY. LOL

[@DanielJohnson-xk3gz]

Hi Jim! Thanks so much for putting in so much work into your videos. I enjoy them a lot! I live in a quarter acre lot in a village in New York and there is no way I could have any hives. I have been watching your bee adventures for 2 years now and everything I have learned about bee keeping has been from your content. It seems that your hives are stronger this year than what they were this time last year. I was wondering if you could plant a field of wildflowers around your bee yard. Would that be practical to increase the flow? Maybe find some wildflowers that peak during your dearth months. Just a thought from someone who knows nothing! I hope you have a great bee season this year coming up!

[@tommullarkey1955]

Similar story here with Flow Hive in the Berkshires (Western Mass) but I’m starting to think your resource Nucs could be the answer. If your primary hives are in good shape after winter then move some brood frames from your resource nucs to the Flow Hive to catch the first nectar flow - Michael Palmer in one of his videos called it “dropping a brood bomb”. I just assembled my resource nuc (which you introduced me to, thanks) and now I'm thinking i should get a second one, but i'll have over a year to see if I can get my dusty Flow supers to work. Good luck and thanks for the great videos.

[@twilightroach4274]

Hi Jim, Could by using your flow frames as your main honey storage for your bees, be an advantage for them, as they only need to seal them with wax instead of having build up complete cells. Therefore giving themselves more resources to make honey instead of wax?

[@Jay-jp2iv]

Maybe try a double queen colony like some commercial beekeepers do. Queen in top box, queen in bottom box, queen excluders bottom and top, flow hive/supers in the middle. Maximises honey production in short period of time if your seasons are short. Good luck.

[@vinofarm]

This was a suggestion by someone else as well. I need to look into that. My brain is having a hard time understanding it. Thanks for the tip.

[@mikeries8549]

I think he means two excluders with two hive bodies and a flow hive sandwiched in between. It'd be more trouble than running two conventional colonies supered the old-school conventional way imo. Of course I have an extractor so I'd lean toward using it.

[@johnnystorme3824]

A question.... do beekeepers in your area collect any honey the traditional way? If so then why not try the two queen system where two hives joined together with the supers linked to both in the middle? This way with two hives collecting nectar, the supers would fill up twice as fast enabling you to add the flow frames in early September.

[@larrytornetta9764]

Unless you live in the arctic this will work. RULE 1 IN BEEKEEPING IF YOU WANT HONEY ,YOUR BEES MUST BE AT MAXIMUM POPULATION BEFORE THE APRIL MAY OR JUNE FLOW. This means your bees must be strong going into the winter. They must be mite free and lots of honey. Then as soon as it starts warming ( note no particular month) feed sugar syrup and pollen patties. As soon as the flow is on ( note when the dandelions are blooming) throw the flow frames on. In my case, Chinese knockoffs.

[@flygirlhoney_]

I love your videos and have learned so much from your bee keeping experiences. I’m starting 2 flow hives (a 7 frame and a hybrid) next month here in Texas and hope I have better luck with being able to use the flow supers this year.

[@fuzzypenguinroxmysox]

The description of Massachusetts weather had me laughing. I’m right below in CT and it’s so accurate about April

[@peacefullysublime86]

I left Connecticut couple years ago and the three years I lived there I have never seen so much SNOW and cold in my life lol I’m from Virginia. No such thing as warm spring in Connecticut I was still wearing a coat !

[@jasonpurcellau]

Whats the point of removing the flow frames? the bees eat from them in winter?

[@thehiveandthehoneybee9547]

This is funny and sad because if you didn't have "FlowHive" in your titles, I never would have watched any of your videos in the first place. Doesn't Mr Dunn live near you? Why does his work and yours doesn't? I AM SO CONFUSED. Good presentation, but leaves me with more questions than answers.

[@vinofarm]

Frederick Dunn lives 9 hours away from me in a different state. There are people 1 hour away from me who have the Flow Hive working. Every situation is completely different. I'm not giving up on it. I hope to get it working this summer, but if we have a similar dearth in July, it's not going to happen. Like I said in the video, if I lived next to a canola farm, my bees would have plenty of summer nectar and I wouldn't have this issue. Unfortunately, my plantings for summer nectar have not been successful. I'll keep trying.

[@thehiveandthehoneybee9547]

Oh! I didn't realize that. Yes, keep trying and we'll keep watching! Thanks for the response.

[@maryries4044]

When you have 10 or more colonies next spring would be a great time to invest in 12 more flow hives.

[@qvoorhorst]

have you ever made sugar frames to help your bees survive? i've seen a video of Cody's lab, he lives in Utah where it can becone very cold too and most of his hives survive the winter.

[@Kopsu87]

This video has very nice lighting. The colours are great, the music in the end enters very naturally and the video has a professional feel. You've become a proper videographer mr. Vinofarm. What's your name btw? I'm sure you've mentioned it on some episode, but I can't remember.

[@vinofarm]

Jim!

[@jordanwoodify]

(not a beekeeper) I've been watching videos and if your bees are struggling to survive certain months couldn't you just do the trick of 1 part water 1 part sugar to keep them going?

[@RAD6150]

Same question I had. Could you supplement them with sugar syrup until September? So start with brood box. Feed until you can add a super. Add a medium super and continue supplementing. Then add Flow, no more feeding. Once you have collected and removed flow, supplement feeding until it gets too cold. If the hive is really full of bees, add a second medium super after removing the Flow.

[@lwil2808]

You have a lot of acreage to plant. Yellow clover is the best provider of nectar. One acre can produce a ton of honey. I would look into it. Not sure about ur zone. Also we havent put on our flow hive super yet either. Second year we are trying to put it on during the first nectar flow. With the issues in your area sounds like you need to feed early and use pollen substitute to kick them into production. Also melt some wax you have collected and coat ur flow frames, put a queen excluder on and put on ur flow frames early. They will need to clean it up and get it ready before they even start storing. Also as a new beekeeper I wouldn’t buy the flow hive initially, I would do what u said just buy traditional hives then get the super. I feel your pain. Really hard to get the honey going!

[@vinofarm]

We tried sweet clover last year but it got overrun with grass before it took hold. I have red and white clover (native here) ready to plant this spring after we till our field. I have not looked into yellow clover. Best of luck with your bees!

[@drrota]

Joe Lewis has a great video on plants for bees: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJikfYSgoKqFY9E - Best to plant in a shoal sized area. Good luck.

[@ElocinAlways]

Clover is tricky. Lots of blooms, but once nectar is gone, its dry blooms. Ive read guys who high mow/cut their clover fields in rows, cycling new blooms. Flowers do not = nectar flow.

[@johnkeegan3958]

Just saw video and i think you are correct i have been keeping bees for 4yrs now and my 2nd year tried my first flow hive and it works great in central texas we might have 10 days of winter this year i will be adding my second flow box . Im still a small hobbyist with 10 hives.

[@vinofarm]

That's great. This illustrates my point. It's still a fine product for a lot of people. You just have to live in the right location for it to work.

[@dt3173]

I live in houston,tx and i want to start. Any pointers?

[@celticqaidbear]

What i would do is have a give-a-way.

[@vinofarm]

This thought crossed my mind. Maybe at 50,000 subscribers?

[@turgsh01]

Nah, advertising like that will just get ppl to make fake accounts or subscribe just for the sake of free stuff. Better to just let it happen over time so the subscribers are legit and here to stay.

[@turgsh01]

You'd be surprised... also, it wouldn't be just 1 person doing it. A lot of ppl have hundreds of fake accounts already to up their favorite channel's sub amount or to up their own real account, they could just reuse them on this channel. I think you just underestimate the stupidity of KZbin.

[@Off-Grid]

We have had bee hives on our off-grid homestead for a while now and people who buy our honey always asked about these types of hives. I'm torn since I don't hear good things about their longevity. Some of our hives have been in use for 8 years. I've heard these will only last a season or two because the combs get clogged or break as they are plastic. I'd still try one out if I got one for free but think I'll stick to my wooden boxes.

[@PaulOtis]

As a beekeeper, I get asked about the flow hive all the time. I always refer those questions to videos like yours, and Brandon's Bees. I feel that you guys get it. You still have to be a beekeeper with the flow hive. You can't just put it on, and wait for the magic to happen, you may get a crop, but the bees will most likely fail. Keep on beekeeping JIm. I love the journey!

[@MicheleAllori]

Hi Jim. Would there be a chance for you to plant some plants that bring nectar in the dearth period? Even some non local ones, I'm sure there is something you can plant in your farm for this. Question is, would you do it of there was a plant for it?

[@jamesjarvis3328]

Brilliant video. I genuinely think the technology and the concept of Flow is brilliant (I feel as though you agree?), but it's the application which makes me dubious. Your video has given me a truly balanced insight - so many beekeepers appear hostile towards it, often though misunderstanding. It was fantastic to watch a video which is 'negative' about flow, but with a brilliant justification. Thanks very much for this. For me, as silly as it sounds, one of the aspects I love about the Flow is the observation window... but that's partly because it's a great way to show bees in action to those not comfortable being around an open hive. I'm yet to get into beekeeping - I've just found your channel so I think I'll watch your videos and learn from your learning experience! Anyway, that's the end of my rambling. :)

[@ivonastrukar4715]

just cut a window on a normal hive

[@MrGigaHurtz]

I know nothing about bees but have gotten hooked watching your videos about bee keeping. Really interesting!

[@0ptoman]

Well... This is interesting. I bought a Flowhive on a whim because I wanted an easy way to get into beekeeping. Then I found your you tube channel and have watched every episode of your beekeeping experience. The difference between you and I starting up was that I had heard that you should start with two hives. I didn’t want to buy another Flowhive so bought an 8 frame flat packed Langstroth hive so I could share elements of both hives. After installing two 6 frames nucs, the Langstroth proved to be the more successful and productive hive. Like you I haven’t harvested any honey yet from the Flowhive but I’m trying to figure out a strategy so I can. Unlike you though I fortunately didn’t lose any bees over winter. I now have 4 hives in total. One 8 frame Langstroth , 2 ten frame Langstroths and a 32 frame Langstroth frame long hive that we call our “Longstroth” This year the Longstroth will converted into a 5 x 5 frame nuc hive and I plan to get another 4 or so Langstroth hives going. I won’t be buying another Flowhive. Like you I don’t have anything bad to say about the Flowhive except it’s probably not for me either. What I will say is this, the Flowhive may have been the catalyst for me to start bee keeping but it won’t be the reason I remain a bee keeper. I absolutely love it. I still do a little jig, like you, when I find a mated queen for the first time. I also really enjoy your channel and feel I truly can share your delights and frustrations. FYI... I live on the south western tip of the UK.

[@hillshepherd9444]

Maybe those long strips of insulated electric wire, they use to warms house gutters fro icing up, around the hive to warm it. they don't get that hot as to burn them or the hive.

[@jackseamon7064]

I'd say keep your Flow Hive ready to use. You and I live about 2 miles apart, as the bees fly. We've had some wonky weather that hasn't helped anyone in this area. 2016 we had a drought. Bees worked hard to find flowers with nectar in them. 2017 saw the end of the drought, and what I had heard through Worcester County Beekeepers was that shower and rain activity diluted or washed the nectar from flowers. Again, the bees had to work hard to find nectar. 2015 though, lots of nectar was readily available, and ours made lots of honey. Since this is agriculture and not manufacturing, we are at Mom Nature's mercy. Keep the faith, good years are coming. 🐝

[@vinofarm]

Thanks, Jack. I had a sense that the last two seasons we a bit abnormal. It's all I know, though! I appreciate the encouragement.

[@neowildstar]

Would it be viable to make a 4xMed Hive and a 3xDeep Hive for them to be able to have a good size of a population and food storage for themselves and be able to get a situation where you could get 1 Med Super on each hive for yourself after they've filled the hive proper? A larger hive with more brood might be able to survive better, no? I'm not sure, just giving a thought from the outside.

[@Frankstar22]

Fun Fact: i missed this Video back in the day - just watched it. Funny thing is - my beekeeping story is exactly the same as yours ^^ The good thing - through Flow Hive i got into beekeeping, and i found your channel. started watching you with the first Flow Hive Video.

[@jonasa.3040]

Why cant you leave the flow hive in winter?

[@encountar]

I'm liking the Beard! really suits you.

[@nickgaudet]

Why can't you leave it on for the winter? Your discussion was based on this assumption, but I'm missing why it's not possible. Thanks.

[@vinofarm]

Nicholas Gaudet When the Flow frames are on, you must have a Queen excluder installed. During winter, bees are going to cluster around the queen. If the cluster needs to go up into the flow box for stores, the queen could be left behind under the excluder. Also, the flow frames are Extra deep with very little room around them for clustering. They are simply not designed to be used over winter. The flow hive people state that they need to be removed for winter. Bottom line, this whole system was designed in a place with no winter. In the location (sub tropical Australia) where these were conceived and tested, they are left on the hive year round. In almost every other part of the world, these frames need to be removed during freezing months. Unfortunately, we have six freezing months.

[@oof9701]

You should try catching wild bees they already know what they need.

[@heatherriddell-idefarm8545]

Now, I know relatively nothing about bees; and I will NEVER have bees (because I'm allergic), but why are hives the size they are? What keeps you from custom building an extremely large, extra long (maybe modular?) hive? If the hive is large, would that not offer a greater degree of insulation for the winter, and a considerably larger cluster in winter? And could you then use flow frames on top, given it allows a much greater winter survival rate? Of course, that means that if anything goes wrong in that hive, it's a significant loss, but I'm curious how flexible hives really are.

[@frankseville2136]

Please sell them to me :( I’m just getting ready to start beekeeping , and of you want to sell that I would love it.

[@jefferymerrill5006]

Where can I find the map of my area(Northern Indiana) that shows the information you showed about temps and altitude?

[@NaturesCadenceFarm]

That is definitely a tough timeline. Maybe this year will be better and the numbers will be on your side. I think a flow hive would work for me here in VA. b/c we only have a couple of really cold months. I would definitely love to try it some day. Good luck this season. 👍

[@vinofarm]

Thanks for watching!

[@g8ors99]

Hindsight is always 20:20. I really enjoy your videos and I liked following your journey from "day 1" on. Do you think you would have become a beekeeper if it hadn't been for the Flow Hive?

[@TRICK-OR-TREAT236]

YA WANT 75 BUCKS FOR IT ? I'LL PAY SHIPPING.

[@williegillie5712]

TRICK-OR TREAT lol

[@brianwingham3112]

Was thinking about your comment getting to know how to get your bees through the winter. We don't have a particularly cold winter here but have a long wet winter. I noticed in one of your videos that you have a poly tunnel, so how about sticking your hives in there for the worst of the period. I've recently been given another tunnel and I'm planning on housing my apart in it as my bees are flying in my other tunnel and it's jan

[@vinofarm]

I've considered it, but the problem comes when it's early March and the hoophouse warms up to 70ºF and it's still freezing outside. They think it's spring and start flying, only to find that there are no flowers for 8 more weeks. Moving them there and back for the coldest two months is highly impractical. The other option is covering the whole beeyard with a hoophouse and making the plastic easy to open and close to regulate temp. Still very impractical since we have huge temperature swings in late winter. I'll see how my current wrapping/insulation does this winter. If I lose too many hives I'll think about something like that next winter.

[@williegillie5712]

lol you bought it but you don’t plan to use it. You sound like my wife

[@EVILGOKU1986]

HA

[@howardyeung4443]

hello sir, vinofarm owner, thx for sharing, im currently doing study project on nature conservation (very serious), bee habitat is one of the subjects. is there any way that i can further ask more questions by pm? thx

[@honestlynate7922]

I agree that you can expect to put that frame in the hive and get a flow but I also believe that you didn't try it so you really don't know and all you're doing is making excuses for yourself in order not to use a product that I guess you unlike most of us can afford just to throw $700 away on and never use. all I see in this video is you making excuses for wasting your money. I have heard that the flow hives are not good for your bees but I've also heard that you can't do a review on a product you haven't used just because you bought it. I'm one of those 11 thumbs down for that by the way

[@vinofarm]

Noted. Thanks for watching.

[@countrylover1969]

Hey bud, nice video. I learned a lot as a new bee keeper, even I am not thinking about the flow hive. But all your explanation makes a lot of sense when it comes to honey flow and when to take honey. Thanks and keep it coming.

[@mrmillsartstudio]

Why can't you leave the flow frames on during winter? Won't they just eat the honey out of them, then fill it again next spring?

[@vinofarm]

It is not recommended by Flow Hive. Also, the queens will move up into the flow frames in late winter and fill them with brood, causing a gigantic mess.

[@mrmillsartstudio]

@@vinofarm So you wouldn't just harvest from the Flow in the fall, then remove those frames and feed pollen patties and sugar for winter? I know some beekeepers are against this. I'd like to get into beekeeping and the Flow was the only way I'd do it to keep down on equipment. I'm on Cape Cod by the way.

[@vinofarm]

MrMills Yes, that’s the ideal situation. This video explains what happens to me: the flow frames would never be full by fall. You can’t harvest 1/2 empty flow frames and you can’t leave them on. It’s a lose lose situation. If you KNOW your bees will fill them right up, this would work for you.

[@tonytucker876]

Thanks. Really a great conundrum! I’m wondering if you have entertained the idea of using an Apimaye Thermal hive to see if this “boost” your winter recovery and thus a “stronger earlier” hive population? Just a thought and just wondered if that would maybe help your situation.

[@navarra4]

I just read your response to the suggestion that you plant flowers for your area that work during your dearth. Have you thought about roaming around to see which larger plant and maybe trees are covered with bees for your area during that dearth time. Clover and smaller plants can get easily overrun as you have found out. But to establish a few larger bushes and or trees could work.

[@vinofarm]

I’m letting the local natural stuff spread where it wants. Right now milkweed and goldenrod are dominant and the bees love them both.

[@DanielPeaster]

Hey @vinofarm have you seen Frederick Dunn’s video Cold Winter Preperation with the Flow Hive? He’s in zone 4 and has a really simple solution

[@vinofarm]

I know Fred, yes. He's not in zone 4. We're in similar zones. The main difference he has is that he's in the middle of farmland and has a more predictable nectar flow than I do.

[@bluzervic]

It was great to watch your reasoning on why you have not used the flow hive. This year just might be your first as it looks like you might have a hive that makes it. I myself could probably use it and may try as my area is very mild. Great presentation. All new beekeepers should Learn about their area and their bees before they think about a harvest.

[@corkkeysbees4627]

Hi there I see you have a little problem but have you try feed sugar water and pollen substitute in April/may to bill Them up before the flow. As I live in township of crows nest, state of Queensland, Country of Australia which is only 2 1/2 hour dive from the flow hive factory. I normally get 3 months good honey flow and winter can down to 2 c over night but maximum day is 10 c or 35.5 f to 50 f but it does get hot. It can get up 40c or 104 f in summer and the tree stop giving nectar about 30 c or 68 f .so I have problems with absconding summer for a Dearth and some didn’t make it through winter. Even when I feed them sugar water and bee pro pollen substitute because they were to weak. Same as you keep Learning very day I hope you do get to try out the flow frames. As I’m would like to do so myself maybe next year as we are rapping up for the year. Which have really good best in 7 years let me no how you get on .

[@williambrancato9773]

There goes $700 dollars. Did my 1st flow hive in 2017. Was a mentor to the buyer. Found out he didn't have the time nor did he want any of my advise. It worked great for my 1st free bottle of honey & that was about it. He is now building a Top Bar hive. It is a very interesting about the zone difference.

[@Fredddoh]

Quick question - isn't the flow hive slightly more effective as a honey storage as they don't need to build as much comb to begin with? Won't that mean the bees spend less energy building comb and gather more honey instead? I always thought you could leave the box on, for them to utilise it when they want. Thanks

[@vinofarm]

Watch what I said in the video... you can't leave it on in winter. So I need to make sure they have at least one FULL regular super filled up first that will just be for THEM for the winter. Once they have that filled, THEN I can put on the Flow super for me to harvest whatever they store after that. If I only put the flow super on, they will surely fill it up, but I need to remove it when the weather gets cold and I'd be taking away their honey.

[@jackmeriustacktheritrix]

I've been thinking about getting in to beekeeping, i live in coastal Maine though so idk how successful i'd be, our winters are pretty brutal

[@mathewkromeo2934]

Look into getting a topbar. Look into a local or regional beekeeping group.

[@stuartcoyle1626]

I live in subtropical Queensland, with blooms all year round, and the flow hive works well for me. I understand completely why it would not work in your situation and feel fortunate not to have to cope with cold winters.

[@zachmartin8230]

Have you thought about splitting the flow frames between multiple hives, along with built out frames so the bees have a ready made place to put stores. That way you could harvest only a small portion, leaving the rest for the bees

[@TonjaP]

I am far from a bee keeper but I think I have an idea, because I didn't hear you say anything about it... Wet feed in the summer and dry feed in the winter... As long as the bees are feeding then you will in turn get honey...???

[@GrassHopperFried]

Dude from the pic u show where u live, I'm thinking its not the suburbs but country area so I'm thinking do u an outside generator. If so than put ur hives next to it. By the way is ur house on stilts or stumps? U can leave it under there.

[@orenburg6318]

Just new to beekeeping, pardon the stupid comments/ questions. From my limited understanding, the flow box is pretty much a pre-fab comb, that when the queen blocker grate is put on, means that only honey/ nectar can be put in the comb cells. Basically turning the facility into a 7/11 for bees. If it’s a tough time of year, leave the storage for the bees, but if it’s full, then jar a honey bank up. And is it possible to throw a blanket or 2 over the hive to keep it a bit warmer for those colder days? Best of luck!

[@vinofarm]

You can't leave the flow frames on once the temps start to be below freezing. Whether the cells are capped or not, the frames come off. If they're capped, I can harvest. If not, they are useless to me AND the bees. We have 6 months of winter. It's not like I can take them off for a week and put them back on. They would come off before October and go back on maybe in April.

[@snuffoutrouge5109]

things to consider . You can't take some spare frames to the flow hive and swap them with honey filled frames. If the flow hives are not close to your home you have to wait for the frame to drain into your honey jar. If it is cold the honey flow is slower. I am in a cold climate closer to Antartica than QLD so I have not purchased the flow hives since moving more South five years ago.

[@INDIANxxWARRIOR]

plant a lot of good flowers around your area that work for bees, in your garden, ask your neighbors to do the same and plant them in the wild.

[@californiamojavegardener5505]

Feed your bees during the winter, sugar water, or sugar syrup. Look at Emmy made. And are you winterizing your bees in the wintet?

[@Joyful-Heart777]

Thank you! Love the visuals on the drawing board 👍

[@carolrichards5235]

As the wife of a long time beekeeper, I have a few questions. First, are you monitoring for the varroa mite. From what I have picked up from my husband and The American Bee Journal, varroa mites are a very possible reason why your bees are not making it through the winter. Second, are you checking your hives in the early spring to find out where the bees are in relation to the honey stores? Sometimes the queen lays late into the fall season, and the bees will cluster around her to keep her alive, but the honey will not be near by. Restacking the supers, bringing the honey closer to the cluster, will help them. Third, do you feed them in the early spring months? We live in MI and have been feeding our bees a sugar fondant for several months. They went into winter with plenty of honey, but the winter was longer and colder than normal. Checking the hives during a warm spell in Feb., my husband decided the bees needed some extra feeding to keep them alive. My husband recently bought "The Beekeeper's Bible", publisher Abrams, NY. Not only does it cover beekeeping, but the book has chapters on the history of beekeeping, bee life history, overwintering, diseases, hive location, grading honey, and recipes for using your honey and wax. Love this book. Very informative.

[@vinofarm]

I've lost two hives out of five hive overwinter attempts, so my overwinter record is pretty good. The two I lost had heavy varroa and were treated, but probably a bit too late in the fall. I need to monitor the varroa earlier in the season and treat earlier. Still, I've had three hives make it through winter, so I'm doing OK. Yes, I check any days that get above 50º in MA. One of my survivors was just about out of honey back in early March and they've had fondant on all winter. They're living on fondant right now, but still very much alive. It's still too cold to feed syrup, but that will start soon. Thanks for the tips.

[@shanejarvis1108]

Have you considered moving your hives to a place where there is an abundance of flowers during July and August? Surely there’s a farmer reasonably close to you that would appreciate the pollination from a hive of bees.

[@zhanaortiz6787]

I just about never comment, but your video is incredible. Thank you for the realistic thoughts and the info! We are in Northern California and want to start beekeeping. Finding your channel and this video is SOOO helpful. We have 22 acres and after moving to this property in December, we have fruit trees and wildflowers finally planted, I'm hoping to learn more before jumping into the deep end.

[@vinofarm]

There is a lot to learn. I'm no expert on anything, but I share what works for me. Thanks for watching.

[@somethingnostalgic]

I'm in NY about 90 mins up from the city. We had a weird winter this year - flowers started blooming mid-may and continue to do so now in June - so it seems like when I get into beekeeping (outside research), I'm going to have to work with the bees for a full year and see how well they do during that year. I don't want to take the honey away from them when they need it more than I do. My plan, along with my husband's (who hates bees but knows I want this in my life), is to get the yard ready for them. We're looking at flowers, bushes, and trees that will give the bees what they need, then place the hive. Luckily, there's a local beehive supply place in Kingston so I can get my bees and tools, attend workshop classes, and have more questions answered there as well. But your video was very helpful (I'll be watching your Q&A); and you answered some questions I had about this Flow Hive. You also gave a great pointer towards the end of your video where you said that when you start beekeeping, start with two hives. So thank you for that! Good luck in your venture and may your colonies be strong this year and years to come. :)

[@shaunbarker9201]

Once painted with smooth masonry paint a few Coates they will last for up to 20-25 years. We paint ours with 6 coats and they are totally adept at keeping the weather out Maisemore ,paynes bee supplies, bs honey bees are three of the brands we use

[@billmitchell7731]

What do you think about a top bar hive. I have a bad back. And it looks like a top bar hive would be easier on the old back??

[@vinofarm]

Bill Mitchell Top bats are definitely easier on the back. Also look up horizontal hives. They’re like Langstroth/top bar hybrids.

[@mwolkonsky]

I too am a new beekeeper and developed a hive the first year. However, since you bought the Flow Hive you might want to join the FH forum and see what others in your area are doing. The Flow Hive team are expert beekeepers and have many beekeepers from around the world to draw from. Your area is not the only area with the 6 months winter time. I hope this encourages you to try your Flow Hive. I think you can do it! Thank you for sharing your experience. PS I planted white clover in my lawn and stevia for fall resources. From Tennessee here.

[@michaelmauter2251]

I’m curious, with your new Bee Barns that seem to help your bees survive the winter, would you try the Flow Hive now?

[@vinofarm]

There's a chance, but the Flow hive doesn't really fit into my workflow, so it's a small chance.