Flow Hive How Much Honey Does a Flow Hive actually produce? Backyard Beekeeping
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Extracting honey from my original flow-super and finishing off the honey harvesting season.
This video shows what happens when you leak honey from the back of your flowhive super. The bees quickly discover where you're getting the honey from and your tranquil coffee sipping honey extraction moment becomes a game of getting the flow-tubes in faster than the bees can get in your way.
ReCap Mason Jar Lids saved my honey from being impregnated by bees and wasps. The lid holes are perfectly sized for the flowhive tubes and therefore can do a great job of keeping the honeybees out while the honey goes in your jars.
The big surprise for me, was that the flowframes had more than 1/2 gallon of honey in them! I needed to swap jars mid-drip and that's when I was "visited" by hundreds of honey hungry bees and wasps.
Honey ran down the back and the bees began their cleanup on every sweetened surface.
I did three extraction cycles this year, so overall, we had a great year and no profound honeybee losses.
Next, I'll go back when the weather warms up a tad, and will remove ALL of the Flow-Supers. They will be staged outside, 100 feet to the west of the apiary so honey remnants can be claimed and delivered to various hives. I will do this with all of the Flow-Supers at one time.
After the clean up is complete, the Flow-Supers will be put into winter storage. As the frames are plastic, we haven't had any problems with wax moths/wax worms taking over as they often do with inadequately stored wax drawn frames.
Each Flow-Hive has a deep brood box and medium or deep honey super on for winter. Those will not be harvested, but will remain for wintering resources.
The Flow-Supers are stored on open racks in my bee-house and will be replaced on the hives in spring, after the bees build back up and restore their honey-supers (at least one medium or deep honey box).
Here is my video on how to get your FlowHive through Cold Winters: • Do Flow Hives Work in ...
That's it! I hope everyone has healthy bees and will enjoy a winter of maximum survival!
One colony is being fed and that's because it was a late season swarm. It's built up very fast and is doing remarkably well.
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I'll be honest, "I'm running out of jars to put my honey in", is a problem I wouldn't mind having.
That's when you get yourself a food-grade 5-gallon bucket and thank God for bees! 😀
Can we get this man an award for most calm and relaxing voice
Oh! I hope it's shaped like a coffee cup and made from stoneware :) Thanks Jadon!
It must be something in the honey :) The inventors seem to have it as well...
ua-cam.com/video/Z54bL6kjyOI/v-deo.html
Uchie Uch like a golf announcer.
If need to get my 1 year old to sleep I just put on one of Fred's videos on my phone 😁 Cheers Frederick Dunn 👍
The Bob Ross of beekeeping.
"I have an idea for an ASMR video."
"Oh, what is it?"
"I'm going to talk about delicious honey in an incredibly relaxing voice."
"Sounds like a great idea."
"While there are 2000 bees and wasps flying all over the place."
"Wait, are you sure? That might put people on edge."
"You haven't heard my voice, have you?"
Actually the Bee-Summing is very relaxing. What makes it "straining" is that it comes in and out aka changing distances. If it were steady in the same distance, it would be rather soothing.
THAT is funny!
Hi Frederick
Just letting you know due to your channel and videos on the flowhive. my flowhive 2 is now built and ready for its first bees in april or may. looking forward to your next videos.
gareth
Thank you! I hope your flow-experience is excellent! :)
I think I would have some long tweezers picking off the yellow jackets and dunking then in soapy water. Especially the queens!
Canned cat food and ant bait ... Yellow jackets like meat, carry it back to their queen and larve ... They feed it to the queen, kills every yellow jacket nest around ... Last year I lost 49 hives to yellow jackets, this year I don't even see them anymore! Only used 5 cans of cat food all year!
They don't feed it to the queen, only the brood will eat meat. Interesting though.
Sharing failures publicly is a huge treasure of information for others, so they aim not to repeat them and thrive. Thanks for this very informative video, I'm so sure the 2020 harvest will go without an itch! Cheers from France.
Thank you so much and yes, I completely agree :)
Fredrick gets so much honey that he runs out of jars to put them in.
- *SUFFERING FROM SUCCESS*-
I wouldn’t call this a failure, it’s actually an excess of success!
Also, I love the artwork on the hive boxes!
Thank you so much! Well, the failure was in my jar swapping technique which has been vastly improved this year :) 2019 has been the best honey year EVER for us here in PA :)
Frederick Dunn - That’s great to hear! With so much news about bees in peril and colony collapse, it’s really encouraging to see your bees doing so well.
Does the amount of honey produced indicate the overall health of the colony and bees in general?
@@EddVCR Honey production has sooo many variables but certainly does indicate a strong productive colony. BUT, you can have excellent foraging bees going out in an area that just isn't providing what they need and the result can be very low honey production. Good bees tend to rapidly adjust their brood production to increase or decrease as the environment provides more or less. Healthy bees are capable of getting more from less... if that makes sense, while challenged or sick colonies just don't have the available numbers to defend the colony, feed brood, and gather sufficient resources.
@Frederick Dunn Thank you so much for taking time away from your busy day to answer my question. I’m learning so much about these amazing insects from you and your videos.
Starting next year, I’m going to start a small pollinator garden to support the local bees. It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while now, but your comment helped me understand that creating resources for bees can perhaps help out some colonies that are struggling.
@@FrederickDunn 😊😊
We reckon on having a "yellowjacket bloom" (we call them wasps) about every 4 years. I guess it's one of those natural cycles, dependent on weather and forage conditions.
Guys can you believe his voice sounds like a young mid 20 - 30 guy , i really didnt thought that was his voice .
I get that a lot! When I showed up at a bee disaster site after talking with the Dept. of Ag on the phone, the inspector was cracking up when he saw me get out of my vehicle - "man, I had you at 26 years old tops!" not the gray-bearded dude that I am... I know, it's weird.
saya mau beli buiat di Indonesia bisa beli alat ini contoh dulu 2 buah berapa dollar kah
I always find your videos pleasantly educating and informative. I knew next to nothing about Apiary until I came across your videos; the way it is now, I'm silently nursing an urge to engage in it. If eventually I do, I will be knocking on your door first.
Thank you for your bee-like dedication to this passion. Kure.
I'm so glad to have had a part in getting you interested in honeybees. I do hope you can keep some one of these days. Thank you for commenting!
I also love your comment:. " It is epic, the amount of work these bees are doing is incredible. So, don't you dare sell your honey cheap". LOVE IT!!! It's SO true. Local honey here goes for $20/qt. I'd bee interested to know what honey sells for in other parts of the country.
In South Jersey and eastern PA. And Delaware, honey goes for 7 to 11 bucks per pint
I can get local raw honey from my dealer :) for $225 cash for 5 gallons
Sticky situation...
hehehehe
I used to live in Cadillac Michigan now az
Yellow jackets are bad here to. Wall i can say. It's been so dry
Hi Frederick. What are your thoughts about tapping the flow hive in late evenings. Less Yellow Jackets (Wasps) & Bees in hive. What do you think? Also will you be using bigger jars next time?
I personally don't mind the yellow jackets and visiting bees, it was my fail in this instance for allowing the honey-leak. Normally there is basically no activity behind the hives. Midday to early afternoon is best as it''s generally warmer and the honey flows a little faster :)
Thanks for the inspiration and motivation to revisit my abandoned interest in beekeeping. My grandfather designated me official family beekeeper in my teens, but due to issues beyond my control, I couldn't attend my duties as necessary. I'm so glad to remember so much that I learned back then, now these several decade later. Much has changed about many things except the bees. I will be so much easier now!
Fantastic Fred...saw lots of bee hives in Cretan Olive Groves. Not sure of honey taste.
Thanks John! How is the overall bee health there?
Frederick Dunn ... I did ask but was not talking with a bee keeper, so did not find out. I believe the EU did a big study on herbicide impact but not sure of conclusions.
.
The Bee version of Black Friday
Do you need to condense your hive if you live in FL? We don't really have a winter but for maybe 2 days out of the year.
It's more important in the north, but when there is a dearth, it's always wise to match the hive boxes to the size and production level of the bees. So expanding and contracting based on nectar flow seasons. Thanks for watching!
nooo
the yellow jackets there is another hive somewhere.
you have to follow the yellow jackets to their rogue hive.
put a jar of sugar water their to distract the yellow jack raiders. then find something to get rid of the jacks hive & queen for good.
I live in south Pa, and have a question: do you have screened bottom boards? And if so, do you cover them in winter?
Yes and yes, I cover them in winter. I also have solid bottom boards. There seems to be no difference between them in winter survival for my apiary.
Hey Frederick there is a New Zealand product that helps with wasps. Check it out here: ua-cam.com/video/AB-yEs0iVck/v-deo.html
Thanks Bradley, that's a sophisticated approach for sure. My personal method is simply to provide entrance reducers and keep colonies strong and well populated. I'd be interested in seeing that bottom trap system in full service. Pulling the hive boxes apart from the bottom board rips out their propolis seals that are so important this time of year as they try to control ventilation etc. I don't mind pulling the frames for inspection, but bottom boards are pretty much set for winter. Maybe it's more effective in warmer climates? Thanks for sharing that innovation, I'm sure others will enjoy checking that out.
I actually saw a couple wasps killing the bees and the bees were not attacking the workers actually were cleaning honey off back ends of there enemy’s
Honey bees will lick honey off of anything, from other insects, to rocks if that's where the sugar is :)
I could watch your videos all day! You’re voice is so soothing & all your videos are so well presented and informative!
You mentioned that you were in the Great Lakes region. What state are you in? I am in West Michigan, and am saving for a Flow Hive.
I'm along Lake Erie towards NW New York. If you decide to get a flowhive, please consider using the discount link in the video description :) I'll earn $ towards my next purchase also :)
@@FrederickDunn ok. Will do
I am BILL this here for Indonesia
flow hives do not produce honey, bees produce honey.
Thank you
Wouldn't the yellow jackets (hornets) prefer meat? We trap them that way when they get out of hand.
The meat is for their larvae, the nectar and sugars are for themselves as foragers.
you should get one of those insect-guns to suck up (and later kill) the yellow jackets
thanks for the suggestion.
it was informative & "entertainment".
I'm convinced that the reason is that yellow jackets like to help honey bees clean up honey, if it spills.
7:16 Bee licking honey of wasps's abdomen
Like the elbows. Where did you get them and what did you do to join them?
The links are in the video description. I attach them with silicone.
Need my daily dose of Freds Videos 🐝🐝🐝----📦👍 Try honey & Lemon juice on ice-cream 🥴🩸🌸🥤yum try a milkshake be different Keeping Paperwasp nearbye good idea fred
Time to chill out and be patient. Serve you right lol
Fortunately I have found that the population of cow killers ( red velvet ants) we have helps to keep the yellow jackets and ground dwelling hornets and wasps in check , just can’t walk around bare footed or you will get a cow killer in your foot 😋
Your still good
Why are the bees not going to war with the yellow jackets?
They would if the yellow jackets were trying to get inside the hive, but they don't fight over exterior honey.
"You're gonna need a bigger jar."
Time to invent a quick release valve system! ;) ...could you get a vertical piece of tubing with a flutter valve in the middle, so you can turn the honey flow briefly off and on, long enough to switch jars? Might have to drop the platform the jars sit on down a little, but that's not a deal breaker...??
That's what I did, for the remaining frames, I just lowered the "sag shelf" so I could tilt and remove the jars quickly and continue. A valve, even stopping the flow for a moment, would cause a backup in the hive that "may" cause excessive honey to drip inside. My method will be to just drain half the frame, swap jars and continue. The first jar was the only leaker, as I was ready after that issue. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
I would have measured the flow frame and estimate how much will flow out into a specific jar size, other beekeepers half insert the levers into the frame to split the honey comb in two = the half nearest the back being harvested first and then the levers swung up to the sides and pushed all the way in to harvest the remaining half at the front - reducing the wear/and the effort needed on the unique cell breaking mechanism and the risk of overfilling the jar and alerting the bees to your unique method of honey extraction 😁
When you're not harvesting honey do you do painting videos?
There are far more talented artists on UA-cam, so the only art-related videos I have done recently pertain to pyrography on bee boxes :)
The yellow jackets here in Montana have been just insane had to Nas up in my attic and had one in a brush brush pile and I’m highly allergic I didn’t stone twice by yellow jackets this year
It must be terrible to be allergic and have them setting up nests in your attic. Getting near their nest is definitely high risk for those with life-threatening allergies, do you carry an epi-pen?
Yes I carry an EpiPen but it really sucks because I really really love these when I was a young man 14 I had one beehive that’s how much I enjoyed bees and I always have now I’m at a place where I can successfully key is and I can’t due to the fact I’m highly allergic it used to be I wasn’t as allergic to wasps as I am the honeybees in the last i’ve become just as allergic to wasp stings but I enjoy all your videos that you do
Where do I get the elbows and the lids fit the jars?
They are all linked in this video description ua-cam.com/video/0Zz73ni2tA4/v-deo.html
What are those black specs/tiny pieces in the honey?
When it first runs out, you will often see specs of propolis as you break the seals. You can eat it, or just scoop it off the top of the oney later.
What kind of frames do you have in the bottom box?
I use a mix of wooden foundation-less frames and one piece pre-waxed Acorn frames. If you watch the FAQ 20 video that is going live in the next 25 minutes, I show the frames I use.
@@FrederickDunn Awesome, thanks.
@@Unknownbrand You're very welcome!
Have you got a link for those Mason jars
amzn.to/3eJeajT
I am thai. i need your tech . i look and look. your is original some day i hope i win
Thanks Khomkrich
We have had bee hives on our off-grid homestead for a while now and people who buy our honey always asked about these types of hives. I'm torn since I don't hear good things about their longevity. Some of our hives have been in use for 8 years. I've heard these will only last a season or two because the combs get clogged or break as they are plastic. I'd still try one out if I got one for free but think I'll stick to my wooden boxes.
I've responded to your comment on another flowhive video. If what you've been told is true, I'd have made videos showing their limited life expectancy. The only thing I've had to contend with after four years of continuous use, is cleaning the "undamaged" flow-frames.
I didn't read all the way down, sorry, but why didn't you have a smoker?
Because I'm not opening the hive and the bees aren't defensive unless you open it. Smoking with flowhives is not necessary.
As always a great video Fred. I got two harvests this year from my Flowframes. I absolutely love the flow frames! I am in north central British Columbia and the bees are clustered for winter.
That's great news and I'm so glad it's working so well for you!
A pain but a great return there Fred
I was ready for all of the subsequent jars, so only one leak, but that's all it took as the bees continued to persist well after there was anything to collect.
Are flow hives safe for the bees, and is it safe in general to use. I mean it looks super cool but I need more info on it
It is completely safe for bees, more so than traditional honey extraction by far. Also safe for general use and is food grade, not a single lab test has proven that any plastic particulates make it into the honey. It's currently my favorite system for honey harvesting and I have converted my entire apiary to flowhives. Most bee-friendly method I have found anywhere and the purest honey with least amount of processing. From frame to jar with no filtering at all, I absolutely prefer this method. Anyone who says these harm bees, has never used one and anyone who claims the plastics effect honey content, has never had lab tests done and purely speculates to the negative. Thanks for asking :)
Frederick Dunn Thank you
@@happycowasmr5591 You're very welcome :)
What kind of thermometer do you have there at the end?
Acu-rite weather stations.
well with all this rain even honey bees are having a hard time foraging i think the yellow jackets are just looking to rob
I agree Andrew, and the honey bees are just as dangerous as the wasps when it comes to robbing. I haven't had any successful wasp full-on raids this year, but I'm highly suspicious of some of the honeybee groups that seem to frequently test the landing board guards.
Hello from southern Ontario! I really like your idea of removing the empty Flow Hive framed honey super and storing it empty for winter. Have you found that one medium honey super filled by fall, is enough to feed one brood box for winter? And have you found inserting 2 keys when empty a Flow frame works better than one? And how do you get the bees to clean up an emptied Flow frame? Just leave it outside the box near the hive for a few days?
Thank you for your most valued advice! Marie-Louise
Those are all great questions. I'll be responding to them in full during my Friday Q&A session. Yes, a medium full of honey partnered with what they also store in the brood box is enough for our winter season here. Two keys are easier, and they move the frame leaves with less stress on the plastic. Please do not place them exposed outside, and not against the hive as this could start robbing and the plastic should not be in direct sunlight. The bees in the hive will have cleaned out the cells well in a 24 hour period after draining the frames and you can then take it straight to storage. If you think it needs a little more cleanup, you can power wash, and air dry the frames prior to storage.
i saw this one guy that hooked up 7 hoses to the flow hive frame set and attached them to a food grade 5 gallon bucket lid with zip ties on both sides. He drains the entire thing at same time, without a drop of honey escaping. Starts the process, walks away for half hour.. comes back and done. I guess it would make sense to do have of each frame at same time then come back for other half after a bit.
That's a great way to avoid collecting each frame separately which is one of the greatest aspects of the flowhive - each frame has its own flavor and nectar source. By combining them all into one vessel, the individuality of the frames is lost. I personally would never combine them in that way. Also, if you're draining seven frames at once, there is going to be quite a bit of honey dripping down inside for the bees to contend with and that can go bad in a short amount of time.
@@FrederickDunn Thanks for that insight. I didn't know. I'm a newbie :)
@@jenniferw8963 NO problem :)
My dear brother, how can I communicate with you in order to benefit from your beautiful experience in this field? I am from northern Iraq and I have a group of cells. If it were available to you, a better way to communicate through Viber or WhatsApp would be better. I am waiting for your response.
You can contact the sellers through the link in the video description.
Interesting. How come the yellow jackets and bees aren't hostile to each 0ther when cleaning the pipes?
Because they are at a food resource and not defending their hive entrance or nest zone.
@@FrederickDunn Aha! That makes perfect sense. Thanks for the knowledge.
I've just found and subscribed to your channel after UA-cam recommended me your wasp trap video. Your videos look really nice and clean! Good stuff mate
@@AceOfSpadesX Thank you so much and welcome to my channel :)
Great video Fred!! :-)
Thank you :)
Hi, did you have to custom made or order the honey jar lid connectors? Thanks!
ua-cam.com/video/0Zz73ni2tA4/v-deo.html
I wish I wasn’t allergic to bees. I would love to have a flowhive. I love watching the bees and the honey extraction. Beeautiful 😍 🐝
i notice a lot of yellow jackets too around pa i think it is the weather
Would love to have more answers about that... weather may definitely be a factor.
You got this
Very good 👍
Have you tried the "liver on a string trap" for the yellow jackets? I have, 3 times, 100%... NW Ohio...
Nope... but I've dont lots of wasp trap evaluations and prefer bacon strips :)
How does the flow hive hold up over the years? I heard you say that you take the flow hive out for the winter.... when do you do that and is there another honey super on the hive to get them though the winter? Could you do a video about taking them out for winter even if it’s not the right time of year? Please just go through the process because I don’t hear anyone else take them out for the winter, which seems to make a lot of sense. Thank you!
ua-cam.com/video/CZsGV1F8xbQ/v-deo.html This video will answer your questions :)
Great video ... specifically, how you share overseen issues ...
I'm not sure what your question is?
Actually if you hadn't been using the tops you'd not be in the pickle at all. Swapping over is far easier without all the paraphernalia.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)
I know this video is 5 years old and I have no clue if you are still responding to comments but how much honey do you take from your flow hive? Do you 100% drain all the way until winter?
When late September arrives, we remove all Flow-Supers along with other hive supers and condense the hives for winter. All surplus honey is drawn off at that time. The remaining time in September, and into October is a great opportunity for the bees to reseal the joints and backfill empty space.
Sounds like user error
Definitely was.
THANKS Great video
You're welcome Clement, thanks for watching and taking time to comment.
i pay top dollar for my honey. if i see cheap honey, i usually thinkk it isnt of good quality. better to keep the prices up as the bees are going to work for it!
I totally agree!
Late comment but what's the approx worth of those jars? I was looking it up and a half-gallon jar is only like $100 give or take? Seems like it should cost more it's a miraculous process that's 100% natural and unfiltered. Where else do you find that these days?
Do these flow supers annoy the bees relative to other methods?
The U.S. Market is around $20.00 per quart jar of honey. So a Half Gallon is worth $40.00, a Gallon $80.00 and so on.
Hi there. Where did you get the clear elbows from for the tubes?
Just do a google search for any food-grade 3/4" elbows, you'll find the clear elbows are pretty expensive. I no longer want to list the ones on Amazon as the seller has really increased the pricing.
FlowHive IT's coooooooOOOLLLLLL, and video with bees good
Thanks
Hi Fred, warm wishes from Tasmania! Sounds like you get two or three extractions per season?
Correct, and if weather cooperates you can pull from the same frame (usually the center three) just 12-14 days later while the flow continues. It's remarkable how fast they can "rework" the frames once they have been cycled at least once.
I realize this video is 3yos old, so hopefully you still check! But I heard you mention you pull your supers in the winter…did I hear that correctly? What is the benefit of this? Is this only done with Flow Hives, or also with traditional hives?
I pull all honey supers before going into winter, including the flow-supers. The reason for that is we don't want the queen rising into the flow-frames mid-winter and producing brood in them. For those who use queen excluders, there should be no queen excluders on during winter also as the queen would be left below. Then put flow-supers on the hives with the greatest populations the following spring.
Hey Fred. What size were those elbows you got? I see there are two flow tubes, I’d just like to know what size the elbows work with them. Thanks!
-Ryan, Bakersfield Ca
3/4"
I'm not even sure why but this really did entertained me. I guess it's nice to see nice people doing honest work. So wholesome
Do you add the extra super below the flow frames so the bees don’t eat from the flow frames and create the arc?
Yes, one deep, then one mediuim honey super, then the flow-super. :)
Sounds like they or you should put a valve of some sort on those tubes.
IF you put any sort of stopper in-line, the honey would run into the hive and make a mess. You can't impede the flow once the frames are in the open position.
@@FrederickDunn would you be able to close the comb and use a valve of some sort?
You should really continue making beekeep content
Thank you :)
@@FrederickDunn How much honey can you collect from one flow hive a year on average? Or just an estimate / guess?
Two cycles from an established colony is a pretty good average, sometimes 3. Six gallons of honey for the year if you don't have bad weather during the nectar flow.@@Krullfath
@@FrederickDunn Alright, really appreciate it
I'm from Scotland can you point me in the direction of where to buy the tubes and the jars you use....very good idea...Nice set up there you have
ua-cam.com/video/0Zz73ni2tA4/v-deo.html
2:43 Unbelievable, are you still using the Flowhive?
Yes, and they are my wife's favorite way to gather honey.
To solve your Yellowjacket problem is to create a paper wasp colony and they will help remove the Yellowjacket problem.
I'm guessing you've also watched my paper wasp nest transfer videos and placement near the apiary. So, I agree :)
Why not collect the honey at night? You could smoke them stuff the only entrance/exit with a rag or whatever you usually use. Harvest without any bee’s hindering you and when your done n have everything packed up and inside , you can remove the rag n the bee’s should be jst fine shouldnt they?
The entire purpose of this system is to use it without smoking the bees. Had there not been any spills which are completely avoidable, no other issues would have occurred. I hope that makes sense.
How much honey does one flow hive produce a year?
If this is done in a place like the Gambia, west Africa, where the its summer year round, how much honey can one expect to produce in year?
It all has to do with the amount of rainfall and flowers available for the bees to get nectar from. It's not something I can speculate on from here in the U.S. sorry.
your yellow jacket problem is because you have a nest somewhere in the vicinity .
they usually build a nest in the ground and if its a couple of years old then there
is probably 6 to 8 thousand of them. good luck
Here, their nests die out every winter and they must begain again. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Why don't you just use a bigger jug to fill the honey with? Or maybe a capped bag if you're worried about wasting space.
Those are good suggestions, thanks.
Have you ever thought about putting a quarter turn ball valve on your plastic shute?? That way if you think its gonna overflow just turn the valve, replace the jar, then turn the valve back on.
That's a good idea, but if you closed a valve, the honey would run down into the hive as it's an open gravity-flow system. The only fix is just to have the jars swapped in time. It's pure operator error and easily fixed. Thanks Bobby!
Awesome.
I have a question if you don't mind.
? I noticed that your hives are right by the house , do you have a problem with the bees flying or annoying you ?
Nope, and I love the close proximity so I can visit them when I have moment or two. Because I need to document them, having them close at hand makes it convenient. I do have signs everywhere, warning any visitors that bees are here.
A POSSIBLE SOLUTION!!
I was looking at what you did here and I was wondering.... There are jars out there that have a spigot in them, I think they are usually used for Ice Tea or other such drinks. If your lid idea would fit those jars (I know they come in gallon size they might come in two quart size. If you could use that type of jar with your lid idea, it would give you a release mechanism. So if you noticed or thought that the flow would fill the jar, you could open the spigot valve and drain off a good portion of the honey into another jar and never have to remove your lid and take the risk of spilling any honey.
Here is a really big one I found but I am sure if you look around you would find smaller ones.
www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-2-Gallon-Beverage-Dispenser/49229390
Let me know if you try this and if it works.
Thanks, all I had to do was change the jars earlier :)
I’m in Idaho and we’ve had a tremendous amount of yellow jackets as well.
I hope they don't increase even more next year! All of my wasp traps filled to capacity over and over...have never had the problem before.
I live about an hour outside of Chicago. This is my 3rd season beekeeping and every year I have to buy a new batch of bees for my four separate hives. Talking to different neighbors they all say the same thing and are blaming it on a might issue but I thought it was because of the cold weather as to the reason why my bees die. Being that you're also in the midwest, what do you do to ensure that you can save bees over the winter? Or do you as well have an issue of your bees dying every winter
Top of the list is the stock of bees you keep, they must be suited to cold climates. Second is to manage any mite issues and third is the nutrition they are getting from local forage. Then leaving enough honey on for wintering. Here that's between 50 and 100 lbs of honey, but they rarely get through 50 lbs. I see no reason why you shouldn't be getting at least 70% of your colonies through winter.
When finishing extraction from the flow hive and the frame is capped what do the bees do to remove the capping Greg
they just chew them open and refill the cells.
What kind of thermostat is that? It's cool
Acu-rite
@@FrederickDunn thank you it's very interesting I want one.
So what is your final word on these hives? I know many keepers scoff at them, but they seem much easier.
They are my favorite design and I prefer them now over the old methods. I'm switching everything over to this system by 2019. No dead bees, no smoking, no cleanup, no need to wear a bee suit, most direct harvesting method I know of as there is no filtering, spinning, intermediate stages at all. I'm convinced and I do know that many beekeepers won't touch them and that's fine with me.
Just what I needed to hear. When I get bees, I will get one!