# Does anyone have experience with the Flow Hive?



## Lucyloo (Jan 11, 2018)

Hi all,

I am interested in beekeeping and have seen the flow hive popping up in my research. Can anyone tell me if it is a good choice for a beginner or not? It seems easy to use and maintain from what I've read, but I thought it would be a good idea to ask on here too. 

Thanks!


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I m a beekeeper, and one guy in our county beekeeping club has a 'flow hive'. It is an interesting idea.

Imagine if you had a bullet wound in your shoulder, so I came along and cut open your knee. What I was doing with your knee might have been helpful for something, but it is not exactly helpful to your shoulder.

Flow hive addresses an 'issue' that was never a problem, while honey bees do have major problems right now. But the flow hive concept does not address any existing problems.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Well said ETS1 SS.
If you don't want to care for the bees like they have for hundreds of years I suppect your not a canidate for bee keeping.


 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

I don't know about any of you but I enjoy going in the hive ,, if I wouldn't open the hive I see no reason to be a beekeep. But then I do not say it is a hobby ,, for me they are my pets. And also therapy cause I could be ready to take you apart and go play with the girls for 20 or 30 min and Im good. So a flow hive to me would be useless,, but that's me


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

they seem to have been around for a couple years now ,and I hav'nt heard any one bragging on them .


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## Tnff319 (May 28, 2012)

I've thought about getting one. Seems like something intresting to try but the cost makes it hard to justify for an experiment. 

Why does owning one mean you never inspect your hive? I've never seen it claim that. 

Could it not save the new beekeeper the cost of an extractor and associated harvesting equipment?

If you want to keep bees go for it. If you use the flow hobe report back. I encourage you to get into beekeeping no matter what equipment you chose.


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

Tnff319 said:


> ... Why does owning one mean you never inspect your hive? I've never seen it claim that.


The draw is that you do not need to be in touch with your bees.





> ... Could it not save the new beekeeper the cost of an extractor and associated harvesting equipment?


'new' beekeepers rarely own an extractor.

I have kept bees for 10+ years and I do not have an extractor.


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

arnie said:


> they seem to have been around for a couple years now ,and I hav'nt heard any one bragging on them .


They were sold for about 2 or 3 years as a fund raiser but not sent out tel about last January they waited tel they collected millions befor any were sent out so if anyone has them they only had it for a year ...


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## Art_Vandelay (Jan 6, 2018)

Lucyloo said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I am interested in beekeeping and have seen the flow hive popping up in my research. Can anyone tell me if it is a good choice for a beginner or not? It seems easy to use and maintain from what I've read, but I thought it would be a good idea to ask on here too.
> 
> Thanks!


I'm not a Flow Hive hater like a lot of beekeepers. By most accounts, it works as advertised. However, when I've taught new beekeeper classes I've told newbies to avoid them as their first hive. My biggest problem with the Flow Hive is their advertising makes it seem like all you have to do is throw in some bees and pump out honey whenever you feel like it. While removing honey may be easier with a Flow Hive, their ads don't tell you that pulling honey is only about 5% of what it takes to be a good beekeeper. And when people buy a Flow Hive thinking it's going to be a piece of cake, they're either shocked at the actual amount of work required to keep bees, or they're killing their bees from neglect. One of the two.

So I'd recommend if you want to get into beekeeping, take a class at your local beekeeping club and get a couple standard Langstroth hives. Then get a Flow Hive (if you still want to) after a couple years of learning about how to keep a colony alive.


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## Lucyloo (Jan 11, 2018)

Tnff319 said:


> I've thought about getting one. Seems like something intresting to try but the cost makes it hard to justify for an experiment.
> 
> Why does owning one mean you never inspect your hive? I've never seen it claim that.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your positive reply!


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## Lucyloo (Jan 11, 2018)

Art_Vandelay said:


> I'm not a Flow Hive hater like a lot of beekeepers. By most accounts, it works as advertised. However, when I've taught new beekeeper classes I've told newbies to avoid them as their first hive. My biggest problem with the Flow Hive is their advertising makes it seem like all you have to do is throw in some bees and pump out honey whenever you feel like it. While removing honey may be easier with a Flow Hive, their ads don't tell you that pulling honey is only about 5% of what it takes to be a good beekeeper. And when people buy a Flow Hive thinking it's going to be a piece of cake, they're either shocked at the actual amount of work required to keep bees, or they're killing their bees from neglect. One of the two.
> 
> So I'd recommend if you want to get into beekeeping, take a class at your local beekeeping club and get a couple standard Langstroth hives. Then get a Flow Hive (if you still want to) after a couple years of learning about how to keep a colony alive.


Thank you.


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## Team Honey Badger (Jul 24, 2018)

Art_Vandelay said:


> I'm not a Flow Hive hater like a lot of beekeepers. By most accounts, it works as advertised. However, when I've taught new beekeeper classes I've told newbies to avoid them as their first hive. My biggest problem with the Flow Hive is their advertising makes it seem like all you have to do is throw in some bees and pump out honey whenever you feel like it. While removing honey may be easier with a Flow Hive, their ads don't tell you that pulling honey is only about 5% of what it takes to be a good beekeeper. And when people buy a Flow Hive thinking it's going to be a piece of cake, they're either shocked at the actual amount of work required to keep bees, or they're killing their bees from neglect. One of the two.
> 
> So I'd recommend if you want to get into beekeeping, take a class at your local beekeeping club and get a couple standard Langstroth hives. Then get a Flow Hive (if you still want to) after a couple years of learning about how to keep a colony alive.


Well said!


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## RonTgottagoat (Feb 27, 2014)

There was a guy who brought his to the meeting and demoed taking the honey. He said he still treats his hive like a regular hive with inspections etc. The flow part is just the super, you can use any frames you want in the brood box. His worked good the way it drained it seemed easy. I think for a person who is afraid of dealing with a hive, its appealing initially but it would not alleviate fooling with the bees. Really it would only change harvesting. The bottom line is if all you want is honey a person would do much better dollar for dollar just buying it. Initially I was intimidated by the bees but soon I became obsessed with them. I don't think a flow hive is something I would want but everybody is different.


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## kens (Aug 25, 2007)

I was a Beekeeper for about 25 years until I got Disabled and I miss my girls terribly and I would love to have something like a Flow Hive I could work on my walker or WheelChair. But with only Disability I cannot afford it.


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