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Author Topic: Hi from the Downunder subtropics  (Read 3020 times)

Offline Beelab

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Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« on: May 01, 2018, 09:01:11 pm »
Just saying hi as new members. Going into 3rd year beekeeping with 11 flowhives.
We are out bush, so our bees rely on native bush and what we plant. No agriculture or urban gardens here, which is great from an organic point of view.
This is a huge forum. Looking forward to turn here with questions without getting slammed for choosing flowhives. In return we could answer all your flowhive questions.
So far we have had experience with SHB, chalkbrood, AFB (not ours), wax moths, splitting hives, supercedure, Queen intro, robbing, crush and strain, wax rendering, flow harvesting. Surely the list will grow.
Thanks for accepting us.
  :beemaster: :beemaster: :beemaster:

Offline cao

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2018, 10:20:23 pm »
Welcome.  :happy:

Offline herbhome

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2018, 12:16:45 am »
Welcome, that your sprout next to the hive?
Neill

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2018, 12:45:02 am »
Welcome to Beemaster.
I have had a flow hive for 2 years. I still have not gotten one ounce of honey from it. Last year, every time they were strong enough and started putting honey in the flow hive they swarmed. This year I added a third medium super but they have not been working the flow hive.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Beelab

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2018, 03:24:02 am »
Welcome, that your sprout next to the hive?
Yes, one of a few.     :grin:

Offline Beelab

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2018, 03:39:37 am »
Welcome to Beemaster.
I have had a flow hive for 2 years. I still have not gotten one ounce of honey from it.
We had our first flow harvest 4 months after we put a nuc in. Guess you need a strong nectar flow for them to wax up all the cells. Once they are done with the prep, it?s a different story. That first hive gave us over 70kg in a year.
But yes, the prep takes an awful long time. Don?t give up as yet.
I had one hive of Carnies not liking the flow super and there wasn?t huge forage around. Well, I put a brood frame up. That solved it. My mentor had suggested it. From then on they sealed the flow frames real quick.
Try it next time. Magic. Just take care with opening the harvesting door. Just don?t.
Ah yes, once all emerged, let the drones out from upstairs.
Good luck!

Offline Acebird

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2018, 08:34:47 am »
This year I added a third medium super but they have not been working the flow hive.
Jim
I think it requires a booming hive.  A four medium (minimum) over wintered hive.  Not a split.  Maybe the flows are not strong enough in FL.  I wished I had the chance to try it here.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2018, 10:58:59 am »
I have a very good flow going on right now. Bees are putting on weight like crazy on bees that I split and several swarms that I caught.
The flow hive cells were waxed in pretty well when I got this hive. I added a coat of wax to the surface of the plastic last year.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2018, 11:17:10 am »
Here is a picture of my apiary. The flow hive is the brown one. The rest were all splits or swarms.

Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Beelab

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #9 on: May 02, 2018, 05:36:48 pm »
Nice apiary. Try the broodframe in flowbox. The nurse bees will follow. You get flow honey this season. Guaranteed.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #10 on: May 02, 2018, 10:15:18 pm »
Nice apiary. Try the broodframe in flowbox. The nurse bees will follow. You get flow honey this season. Guaranteed.
Beelab,
Are you saying to to remove a flow frame and replace it with a brood frame or put a frame of brood in a super above the flow super?
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Beelab

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2018, 10:46:04 pm »
Yes, remove flow frame and replace with brood frame, with brood in.
Once brood emerged, let the poor drones escape from flow super, if any.
If you put the brood frame in position of flow frame 1, you can check through side viewing window.
Then leave brood frame up there, get it filled with honey. By then the bees have filled the neighbouring flow frames.
Then swap again with the flow frame you took out.
I bet that brood frame will be the fattest with honey ever.

If you have a Langstroth super on as well, take it away to be more effective.

 :cool:

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #12 on: May 03, 2018, 12:42:12 am »
I will try it, thanks.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Bamboo

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2018, 06:30:07 pm »
Here is a picture of my apiary. The flow hive is the brown one. The rest were all splits or swarms.

Jim that fence of yours is pretty fancy I love it. Those posts wouldn't go amiss inside a house! Did you make them?
Cheers
Mark

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Hi from the Downunder subtropics
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2018, 11:30:10 pm »
Bamboo,
Thanks.
I bought them from Lowe?s, a very large home hardware store. Some one ordered 43 of them and returned them. I got a really good deal on them. I designed the fence around them.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin