Hey Bee People

[saphound]

Saw a thing on tv the other day about these "flow hives". Have you seen these, or does anyone have any? I'm thinking about taking the plunge. I sure do love honey. I know nothing about keeping bees, but this looks about as easy as it could get for a beginner. Kinda pricey tho...what do you think about them.

http://www.honeyflow.com/gallery-videos/videos/p/60#Z54bL6kjyOI

[Burnt sap]

Well saphound, I think it's great you are thinking of Bee keeping. This was our first year into it and we have lost both hives due to fricking mice! I had a restrictor door in place but they managed to chew into the hive anyway. We invested about 800.00 dollars to start and we bought 2 hives with all the equipment needed for two people to work with. It's not cheap and we were able salvage about 50lbs of honey from one hive so not a total loss. For us the flow hive was not an option however check with your local Bee club and get some info first. Also get a mentor to help you get started I think I would have lost my mind if it wasn't for my mentor. Oh don't let anyone tell you Honey Bee stings don't hurt. My first encounter with my bees they got me 6 times until they got to know me. Now I have to buy more bees and I most likely will get stung again.:cry: I will try to pass on anything I learn to those who ask. Good luck.

[ash10383]

I don't have bees (yet) but have done a lot of reading on them and I did see those come up in conversation and the thought was is that there is more to bee keeping than just honey harvest. Hive health and managment is huge in beekeeping and making honey harvest this easy might prevent people from keeping a close eye on the heath of the hive as they don't have driving force to open the hive and check things out. Of course you could very well be one of those to learn there is more to it than honey harvest and be a good bee keeper .

[psparr]

I have bees, and I'm not saying the flow hive won't work, but a lot of things need to work just perfectly for a flow hive to work.
For one, you would need to use a queen excluder to keep brood out of the honey frames. The bees don't enjoy squeezing through an excluder and are reluctant to go through and would rather store honey where it's convenient. That being said, if the queen runs out of space to lay they will swarm and take that honey with them anyway.
2 bees don't like plastic. They will use it, but usually would rather not. Also bees really like to glue everything with propolis. After a while it seems that those frames would be rendered useless by the tenacity of the bees.
All that aside, if you want to try it, go for it. Only you will find what works for you.

[Burnt sap]

You are correct Ash, More to Bees than just collecting honey. It is a lot of work I did not check my bees for a two week time frame due to overtime at work by the time I saw the mouse problem it was to late.
I also followed advice not opening the hive to often so it's a 50/50 risk I guess. Keeping an eye on the health of the bees is the easy part keeping every critter that wants your bees and honey is another battle entirely.

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Saw a thing on tv the other day about these "flow hives". Have you seen these, or does anyone have any? I'm thinking about taking the plunge. I sure do love honey. I know nothing about keeping bees, but this looks about as easy as it could get for a beginner. Kinda pricey tho...what do you think about them.

http://www.honeyflow.com/gallery-videos/videos/p/60#Z54bL6kjyOI

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While I have nothing against the flow hive, it is crazy how often my non-beekeeping friends keep sending me links to it!

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Bees are interesting and fascinating! Ya know how that maple sugar bug gets to you, this may be worse! LOL That being said, it does not have to cost you an arm and a leg to get into beekeeping. I started with Top Bar Hives due to my being able to build them for a little less than 50.00 dollars each! Sam Comfort runs about 400 TBHs between Hudson NY, and Palm Beach FL, he has a good website as well. http://anarchyapiaries.org/hivetools/
This is the start of my fourth year of beekeeping and I love it. It is not easy, but it is rewarding!

Finished hive without cover/roof
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Small Nucleus Hives
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One small honey harvest
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One of my yards
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[CharlieVT]

...this looks about as easy as it could get for a beginner. Kinda pricey tho...what do you think about them.


We have had bees for several years and offer you every encouragement to get into beekeeping. Suggest you read a beekeeping book or two, join local association, lots of good websites too.
Maple sugaring is more physical labor than beekeeping, but there is lots more to know to be a successful beekeeper. Many folks have gotten into beekeeping and become discouraged by hive losses. "As easy as it gets..." isn't all that easy to be successful. And the flow hive may not be the easiest way to be successful in keeping colonies alive; it just makes harvesting honey look really easy.

Before you spend bucks on flow hive equipment, read on:

http://www.honeycolony.com/article/3-reasons-to-go-against-the-flow-hive/

[saphound]

Thank you all for commenting. I'm sensing you are mostly not fans of the flow hive. Thanks for that link, Charlie..I can't read it right now, I've got sap boiling, but I will. Just popped in for a minute to check the forum. I know there will be much reading and research to be done and didn't mean it to sound like I could just buy one and start cranking out honey. The main reasons I have been hesitant getting into it so far is hive loss to bears, and wondering if my mostly wooded setting is suitable for beekeeping. I have 3 acres cleared surrounded by hundreds of acres of solid woods. But I do see honeybees on the dandelions and milkweed and such, so there's a hive around here somewhere. If I do happen to decide to take on this new hobby, it's really great to know there are many good folks here that are willing to help with questions... just like the help I got with maple. :) Ok..back to the boil....

[Burnt sap]

Beeleeve it or not there is a Bee Forum too. Ton of info on that site. Don't burn yer sap!

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Beeleeve it or not there is a Bee Forum too. Ton of info on that site. Don't burn yer sap!

http://www.beesource.com/forums/forum.php

[CharlieVT]

Sam Comfort in NY is a bee keeper with a back to the earth attitude:
http://anarchyapiaries.org/

More Sam (song about Varroa mites):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2jcZr4HfTU
One of Sam's presentations about bee keeping follows the song.

For more natural bee keeping Michael Bush's site: http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

Don't want to buy a book? Michael has said most everything in the book appears on his website.

In Vermont we have the Vermont Beekeeper's Assoc.: http://www.vermontbeekeepers.org/

Mike Palmer is another master bee keeper who shares his beekeeping knowledge willingly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nznzpiWEI8A

[saphound]

Well that'll keep me busy for a while!...Thanks for the links Duncan and Charlie. Boil is going good..about 10 more gals to add. Sure is some sweet smellin steam today, I was a little worried about this batch. Been trying to hold off until 3 before I crack the first boiling soda...but I called it close enough at 2:45, ha.