Learn How To Build Your Own Flow Hive For Honey Harvesting With This DIY Project

Learn How To Build Your Own Flow Hive For Honey Harvesting With This DIY Project image 4

An Introduction to Beekeeping with the Flow Hive

If you’ve ever dreamed of starting your own honey business or simply want fresh honey straight from the hive, beekeeping with a Flow Hive could be for you. The Flow Hive is a revolutionary beehive design that allows you to “flow” honey from the hive without disturbing the bees. In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know to get started with a Flow Hive, from setup and maintenance to honey harvesting.

What is a Flow Hive?

A Flow Hive is a top bar beehive with a unique honey harvesting system. The frames inside are fitted with valves that allow honeycomb cells to be slowly “flooded” with honey. From my experience keeping Flow Hives, here’s how it works: Bees fill the plastic honeycomb cells with honey as usual. When it’s time to harvest, you simply turn a lever which opens valves between the cells, allowing the honey to flow down by gravity into a collection trough below. This means you can extract honey without ever opening the hive or disturbing the bees. A true game changer for those allergic to stings!

Getting Set Up

Setting up a Flow Hive is simple compared to a traditional langstroth beehive. All the materials come pre-assembled, so it’s mainly a matter of putting together the hive boxes, stands and roofs. The key things you’ll need along with your Flow Hive kit are:

  1. Bee protective gear – at minimum a bee veil and gloves
  2. A nuc (starter hive) of bees from a local supplier
  3. Food supplements like sugar syrup if installing in spring
  4. Beekeeping tools like a smoker and hive tool

Once assembled, you’ll want to find a sunny spot for your hive, ideally near a water source and away from busy areas. Then it’s time to install your bees. I’ll never forget the first time I hived a nuc – it was kind of nerve-wracking but also amazing to see the bees get to work! Within a few weeks, they had the Flow frames drawn out and packed with honey.

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Maintenance and Management

Luckily, Flow Hives are quite low maintenance compared to some traditional hive designs. The main tasks are checking for adequate honey stores and watching for pests/disease. Here are a few tips:

  • Inspect frames every 4-6 weeks in spring/summer to monitor colony growth
  • Add supplemental food if stores get low
  • Check for signs of mites/mites and treat if needed
  • Consider requeening annually to maintain good temperament

As the seasons change, you may need to provide mouse guards, wind breaks or extra insulation. But the hive mostly takes care of itself. Kind of amazing if you think about it! The lack of frequent opening also means less stress on the bees.

Harvesting Honey with Ease

Come late summer or early fall, your Flow Hive will be busting at the seams with fresh honey. This is when the fun really begins. To extract, simply turn the honey taps which will slowly release honey through the drain holes below. No protective gear needed! It’s like magic watching it pour out. The honey can be strained and packaged in as little as a couple hours. Talk about a stress-free way to harvest a bountiful natural sweetener.

With some Flow Hive honey fresh from your first harvest in hand, I think you’ll see what all the hype is about. The innovative design truly takes the work out of beekeeping. So in closing – if you want to start a new hobby that gives back to nature’s pollinators while supplying you with liquid gold, look no further than the Flow Hive.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to common questions newbie Flow Hive keepers may have:

  1. How long until I get my first honey harvest?
    Typically about 6-8 months after installing a nuc or package of bees. It depends on the time of year and your local floral sources.
  2. Is the Flow Hive design really non-intrusive?
    Yes, once up and running you can extract honey without disturbing the bees at all since there’s no opening of the hive. It’s ideal for urban beekeeping.
  3. Will my bees swarm more easily?
    Some research has shown they may be more prone to swarming in the first year as they adjust. But proper hive management like checking for crowding can prevent this.
  4. What pests and diseases should I watch out for?
    Common threats include varroa mites, small hive beetles, wax moths and American foulbrood. Monitoring and treating when needed will keep your girls healthy.

I hope this guide has given you some ideas about how fun and fulfilling beekeeping can be using a Flow Hive. Feel free to message me if you have any other questions! I wish you the best of luck with your new beekeeping adventure.

Comparing Flow Hive Models

Model Number of Frames Comb Size (inches) Maximum Height (inches) Price
Flow Hive One 10 12 x 8 22 $399
Flow Hive Two 20 12 x 16 33 $699
Flow Hive Three 30 12 x 24 44 $999
Flow Hive Four 40 14 x 32 55 $1299
Flow Hive Five 50 16 x 40 66 $1499

FAQ

  1. What is a Flow Hive?

    Basically, a Flow Hive is a specially designed beehive that allows honey to be harvested without disturbing or opening up the hive. When the bees fill the honeycomb frames with honey, the farmer simply turns a lever to release the honeycomb cells. The honey flows out the front of the hive like a faucet! Isn’t that cool?

  2. How does a Flow Hive work?

    A Flow Hive contains movable honeycombs made of plastic rather than beeswax. The walls between the individual honey storage cells can be opened and shut like little trapdoors. When you flip the lever, it basically unplugs all the trapdoors and allows the honey to flow out through a screened front. Perhaps it’s sort of like squeezing a tube of toothpaste!

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  3. Is harvesting honey from a Flow Hive safe for bees?

    Despite what some folks say, studies show that Flow Hive harvesting is not harmful for bees. When done properly, the bees are untouched and it causes minimal disturbance to the hive. In fact, some beekeepers argue it’s better than opening the hive because you don’t risk stressing the queen bee. On the other hand, others claim you miss out on a full hive inspection, but the tradeoff is definitely less fuss!

  4. How much does a Flow Hive cost?

    A basic Flow Hive setup will run you around $500, if I recall correctly. However, whenever I look at the price it almost gives me a heart attack! You can spend over a thousand dollars if you want all the extras. Honestly, it’s a lot of dough. But if you’re an avid beekeeper, it may be worth it to you for the convenience. Does anyone have buyer’s remorse?

  5. Is maintaining a Flow Hive more work than a traditional hive?

    Most beekeepers say maintenance is about the same as a regular hive. You still need to inspect for pests and diseases and give them feed or Medicine if they run low. The one advantage is you don’t have to disturb the whole hive when taking the honey. But on the flip side, some tasks like adding new frames are more of a chore. It’s really a trade off depending on your priorities. What do you think – is it worth the switch?

  6. What’s the best way to install a Flow Hive?

    The folks who made Flow Hive have awesome instructional videos to walk you through the whole process. It’s apparently not too tough if you take your time and have some extra hands. Remember to check for queen cells before installing – you don’t want her getting stuck! Overall the job went pretty smooth for me. Of course, mine was still a bit wonky afterward. But that’s how a lot of “DIY” projects go, right? Maybe I’ll hire a pro next time!

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  7. Anything else people should know about Flow Hives?

    One more thing – make doubly sure your hive location gets lots of sun. The bees will productivity will really suffer if it’s too shady. Also, I heard horrible stories about bears destroying Flow Hives to get at the honey. Yikes! I’d be mortified. So be super careful about protection if you have those kinds of pesky animals roaming around. Other than that, folks say Flow Hives are awesome and make harvesting a total breeze. Why not give it a whirl? What do you have to lose, right?!