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Author Topic: Flow Hive  (Read 12792 times)

Offline Wombat2

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #20 on: February 16, 2016, 10:21:20 pm »
What I'm trying to point out Michael is the Australia has a lot of space between nothing. Crossing the Nullarbor (east west highway at the south) you will see no habitation or people (other than the occasional oncoming traffic) except at the petrol stops and that is all there is - a collection of 3-6 buildings in the middle of nothing - no town or village, so you need to carry at least emergency provisions and accommodation like a tent. Hey but is a great country for exploring in a 4WD and getting away from civilization. Drove 4 days off the beaten track once and didn't see a sole - broke the accelerator cable and while scratching my head trying to work out a temporary fix a convoy of 10 4WD turned up on a club outing - one of them had a gas torch and silver solver- we fixed a new knob on the cable that had a bit of slack and we were off again with another day and a half before seeing anyone else.  Its a big open space.
David L

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #21 on: February 17, 2016, 09:02:31 am »
Thanks.  Yes, I'm sure it's even more empty than Nebraska... but Cherry County Nebraska has less than one person per sq mile and if the sign says "no services next 50 miles" it means it...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
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Offline beeutiful

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #22 on: February 17, 2016, 09:07:51 pm »
Yes Australia is remote, and there in lies the appeal for me, I like visiting the cities (closest is 1400km away) once in a while but find them a bit overwhelming at times.  Defiunitely worth the trip michael, it sounds like you already have plenty of travelling experience under your belt, as long as you are prepared it is worth the drive

Offline PhilK

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #23 on: February 17, 2016, 10:14:16 pm »
Thanks.  Yes, I'm sure it's even more empty than Nebraska... but Cherry County Nebraska has less than one person per sq mile and if the sign says "no services next 50 miles" it means it...
Wow that is sparse! 7.8 people per square mile over the whole of Australia, and most of it is empty!

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #24 on: February 18, 2016, 08:30:53 am »
I think Australia has larger areas of sparseness... but Cherry county might be more sparse than most of Australia...

I always love the contrasts.  Cherry County Nebraska must be having a baby boom.  The population density has gone up since I last checked and has skyrocketed to 1.02 per sq mi (was 9. something last I had checked).  Housing units per square mile according to the 2000 census is 0. :)  A total of 3,220 housing units in an area of 6009 sq miles.   I suppose if they hadn't rounded it down it would be an average of 1 house per 2 sq miles.  And then there is Manhattan with 71,672 people per sq mi (27,672.6/km2).  1.6 million people in 23 square miles...
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Honeycomb king

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #25 on: March 01, 2016, 06:31:16 am »
Even more so for  commercial beekeepers as we are not supposed to fuel up when we are loaded with bees. Therefore I carry 400 liters enough to get me from home to almonds and back. Because we move during the night even once we have unloaded there may be no fuel station open for another few hours.
We become accustomed to the remoteness, I spend days on my own with no phone service. Or even to drive for 3 hours with no phone service and not see another set of head lights on the road, and the only radio is coming in from another state?
Some of our buyer of the honeycomb we produce want to know how much product we have for them, therfore I'll drive to a high point on the landscape to phone in at a prearranged time only to get a message bank service . The next time I speak to that buyer I explain how we have driven several kms to get to that spot and stand up on top of a stack of bee boxes on the back of the truck, face a particular direction with my head tilted a certain way.
Ah counrty folk have pleasures that the towns folk will never know. ( A.B. Patterson).

P.s just read back through this and it almost sounds like a rant. It must be getting Close to the end of  season.
But  this is the best job in the world! In the best country on the planet.

Offline PhilK

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #26 on: March 01, 2016, 06:16:45 pm »
...In the best country on the planet.
Careful with that sort of chat around here mate ;-)

Offline SlickMick

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #27 on: March 02, 2016, 02:53:38 am »
I wonder if the SHB becomes an issue with the flow hive and inexperienced beeks

Mick

Offline Honeycomb king

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #28 on: March 02, 2016, 06:40:35 am »
They will never know, because you don't have to look inside the hive anymore.  Just turn the handle and out it comes.
Oh yeah your right it might not be honey that flows it might be beetle juice.
P.s. now I'm becoming sarcastic , it's definitely getting close to the end of the season.

Offline SlickMick

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #29 on: March 05, 2016, 02:09:50 am »
They will never know, because you don't have to look inside the hive anymore.  Just turn the handle and out it comes.
Oh yeah your right it might not be honey that flows it might be beetle juice.
P.s. now I'm becoming sarcastic , it's definitely getting close to the end of the season.

The mind boggles should that scenario occur to someone who in innocence wasn't aware of the implications of living in an SHB area and not knowing what the beetle can do to a hive in a very short time.

But I can see it happening!

Mick

Offline amun-ra

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #30 on: April 02, 2016, 09:59:28 am »
Had a call tonight from someone who bought a flow super as they should be called looking for some bees to make it work sorry can't help you for 6 months give us your name and get in line maybee we can get you some bees.
Every day the sun shines and gravity sucks= free energy

Offline omnimirage

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #31 on: May 07, 2016, 06:56:21 am »
I keep getting people talk about Flow Hives to me. I have little interest in such, they're way too expensive to be of any practical benefit. My neighbour saw me doing some beekeeping, and asked that I supply her with some bees when she gets her Flow Hive: they've been waiting 9 months for their order, cost them $1700 for I believe two supers/frames and everything. Their knowledge of beekeeping is everything they learned when doing a course, that taught them how to open a hive, and other super basic stuff.

Offline Wombat2

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #32 on: May 07, 2016, 07:00:12 pm »
The Flow Hive Web site now has a lot of information on it now about beekeeping in general - handy resource if nothing else.They are developing a commercial version - has electronics that read the honey content (weight?) and automatically drains the hive when needed - that WILL be interesting.
David L

Offline PhilK

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #33 on: May 08, 2016, 08:27:41 pm »
The Flow Hive Web site now has a lot of information on it now about beekeeping in general - handy resource if nothing else.They are developing a commercial version - has electronics that read the honey content (weight?) and automatically drains the hive when needed - that WILL be interesting.
Good on them. They must sleep on mattresses stuffed with money now!

Offline Acebird

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #34 on: May 29, 2016, 09:30:02 am »
Michael, the only issue I have with Australia is how far away it is.  Hawaii was heaven but even that is hell to get to.
I would think buy now there would be some people who have used the flow hive for the spring flow and could give us a report unless they have been run off the forum with negativity.
The kind of thing I was hoping for were some answers on how to manage a hive with these frames.  There certainly have been some comments on why it wouldn't work.  I would like to see someone come back and tell us how they listened to the negativity and used that to figure out how to deal with the perceived problems.

Early on in this thread the comment was made that people buying this device knew absolutely nothing about bees.  I dare say that anyone new buying a Lang hive fits that scenario.  I certainly knew nothing on my first hive.  And I still don't consider myself a beekeeper but I have had bees for 5 years now.
Brian Cardinal
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Offline beeutiful

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #35 on: May 30, 2016, 11:03:18 pm »
Great comment Acebird, I started this thread with little knowledge on bee keeping but a huge amount of enthusiasm, I too was hoping to hear from some Flow hive owners to see what their opinion of the product is? I am about to get my first hive (not a flow hive, cannot afford one yet) but still very curious.

Over priced? or fantastic and easy to use and worth the money? I was/am still very interested to hear what they are like!

Cheers
Tori  :happy:

Offline omnimirage

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #36 on: May 31, 2016, 06:16:07 am »
My uninformed opinion is that they're overpriced. The added functionality they can provide is just not worth the absolutely huge price difference for anyone focusing on profitable honey production, in my opinion.

Offline PhilK

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #37 on: May 31, 2016, 07:39:04 pm »
...for anyone focusing on profitable honey production...
Not exactly their target market, and in fact I would say the greater majority of beekeepers aren't focused on profitable honey production. I sell my honey at a high price and I'm nowhere near breaking even!

Something is only overpriced depending upon what you are willing to pay for it - plenty of people intend to only have one or two hives, and the Flow Hive is an excellent idea for them. I think it's cost is justified. It's revolutionary to the industry, needs a lot of manufactured parts, and the inventors have to make a profit.

Offline Wombat2

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #38 on: June 03, 2016, 09:15:56 pm »
Received an email from Flow Hive yesterday - they have filled all 30,000 orders and now supplying ex-stock from their warehouse in Sydney.   
David L

Offline yantabulla

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Re: Flow Hive
« Reply #39 on: June 04, 2016, 04:04:24 am »
I have given in and bought one.  The Australian made hoop pine ones are reduced in price and you can get another 15% off that again. 
« Last Edit: June 05, 2016, 07:21:59 am by yantabulla »

 

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