I manage one flow hive in exchange for using a bee site. Obviously that's different from managing an apiary full of flow hives.

First thing: the basic hive is a Langstroth, if a rather costly one. Some of the fittings are designed for appearance rather than efficiency but no doubt that suits the market. The version I manage is 8-frame but 10-frame variants also exist. Only the super differs from a standard box. It has an annoying removable panel (read constantly falling off) for getting at the super frames. The frames are the big difference but I won't describe them as no doubt everyone has an idea.

Last year was very good although that particular site was my worst apiary, which might have affected the flow hive experience. Despite reasonable nectar flows the bees were highly reluctant to move into the super. Attempts to lure them in by misting the frames with sugar-water and honey-water only achieved minor success and they were virtually empty at the end of the season while brood boxes were packed full of honey. The colony was slow to build early in the year - not the hive's fault - and maybe if they had expanded faster there would have been more pressure to get them upstairs. I could have tried interleaving standard combs with the flow combs but that sort of defeats the object. I know a couple of other flow hive users who tell me the bees often don't take to the flow combs until the second year. Maybe something to do with the scent? I've no comment on harvesting honey because it didn't happen.

I suppose it all depends on what you want from your beekeeping. At least it's easy just to add standard Langstroth components once the novelty has worn off.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html