Having watched the rise of the FlowHive bee keeping system since its inception via kickstarter 5 years ago, I wondered if it would truly revolutionise beekeeping or would be a flash in the pan. Well 5 years on and FlowHive seem to really have revolutionised beekeeping as a hobby. We have joined many others around the world and would like to share our journey and some associated information.
Background
Here on the farm, we have always marveled at the work of the wild bees we have around us. We thank them and chat to them regularly while we all busy ourselves around the garden. During the past two years, we have endured wildfires and severe drought. It was during this period that our friends the bees really suffered and we began our journey into beekeeping.
While clearing dead trees we stubbled across a wild hive in a fallen tree on one of the hottest and driest of days. We had already been carting water for our animals for months when we found this hive. So they too had suffered for lack of water and food due to the drought.
A quick call to a local beekeeper resulted in a rescue attempt for the bees. Gingerly, the beekeeper attempted to rehome and provide supplemental food for these wonderful pollinators. Unfortunately, they were not to survive the rescue no matter how hard we tried but it did turn our minds back to ambitions of one-day becoming stewards for our own hive.
A full year later now in 2020 we still have drought but now it is termed a green drought. That is to say that we have enough rainfall to turn the grasses and wildflowers green but not enough to fill tanks and dams or support wildlife. We have had more rain this year than in the last two combined however it is still well below a normal rainfall year. It’s tough but there is optimism. Many will say 2020 has been marked by the cancellation of normal life due to coronavirus. However the one thing that has happened as a result of this is that many people are spending more time at home and in the garden. There has been a renewed interest in all things sustainable including beekeeping.
Why We Chose Flow Hive
Our primary reason for wanting to become beekeepers is and always will be about supporting nature and its processes. Bees the world over are in decline. They are being wiped out by chemical sprays, land clearing and poor stewardship of nature. We want to play a part in bringing back into balance our little pocket of the world. To that end you will find on this website many articles talking about resilience building, stewardship of nature, growing your own food and much much more. Our farm gardens are designed with nature in mind including our friends the bees.
Of course, we also like honey but this is by far a secondary concern given that a single jar of honey will last us many months. For us, beekeeping is about the service the bees provide in the pollination of other crops such as apples, berries, and similar fruits or vegetables.
Going with the Flow
As previously stated, we have long watched and waited before taking the plunge and going with the flow. Pun intended.
The FlowHive provides a gentle and simple entrance into beekeeping and honey collection. Having spent many months researching the best type of bee hive for our circumstances, we decided on the FlowHive for a number of reasons. Firstly, it needed to be durable due to our harsh weather conditions. Secondly, we wanted to be sure that we could manage the bees effectively and provide for their needs. Thirdly, we wanted to be a partnership with the bees. The kind of partnership that is a win-win for all concerned. And finally, we did not want large amounts of supplemental equipment to store. The FlowHive was the only hive that ticked all these boxes and more.
Our first hive arrived a few days ago and I eagerly ripped open the packages to begin working through the setup process. The packaging I was happy to see was all recycled and recyclable with the exception of one piece wrapped in plastic. So I was pretty happy to see the claims of being eco friendly made by the company extended to their post and packing.
Despite my wonderful husband telling me to wait for him to put the hive together, I decided that I wanted to see if anyone (meaning dumb me) could do this.
I set to the flat-pack like a seasoned IKEA shopper. The instructions were relatively easy and simple to follow. All tools required, with the exception of a bit of glue, were supplied and the pieces while not labeled went together reasonably quickly.
I now had the roof, base, brood box, and super all assembled and ready to seal. The next few days were spent applying oil and painting each piece to protect from the elements. It looks pretty slick if I do say so myself. It was during this process I got to thinking about how the flow hive company has made beekeeping not only accessible but also a bit of a fashion statement.
Now please understand I am not in any way having a dig, but at the same time, if you are like me the old-fashioned bee boxes typically seen around the countryside are functional, particularly if you are a commercial enterprise, but they are boring and unattractive to look at. The FlowHive has deliberately been designed to be eye-appealing and an integrated piece of the garden. One could compare it with any piece of garden furniture or statue for its attractiveness. This I believe has had a huge impact on the number of people looking into its purchase. While this has absolutely nothing to do with beekeeping – It just looks great.
The obvious design difference is of course the manner in which honey is extracted. It puts honey collection into the hands of the beginner right from the start. This is a major development in beekeeping as well. It is not harmful to the bees. It is not wasteful in its process either. Traditionally or commercially the frames would be removed from the hive, the wax capping cut or shaved, and then the whole thing put through an expensive centrifuge extraction process. Some bees are killed in the process and the honey needs to be strained and heat-treated in some cases to make it fit for our consumption. The FlowHive in contrast does none of this. The wax capping is undisturbed, the bees are safe and unharmed and the honey mostly does not need straining or heating. In my book that’s a win for the bees. The wax left behind is reused by the bees and the honey cells are refilled. The video below shows the bees in action and honey extraction.
Sourcing Bees
There are a number of ways you can source bees, but before you do I would encourage you to contact a local beekeeping club or do a course on beekeeping. There is a lot to know about bees and caring for the hive. Don’t just assume you can pop your beehive out in the garden and the bees will find it. This rarely happens. You need to source bees from a reputable beekeeper and know what your doing before hand.
There are many books on the subject and of course there are loads of youtube videos to watch. FlowHive Youtube channel is full of interesting Q&A videos and much more. So do check that out. Once you have started your learning about bees you will likely have to register with your local government agency to ensure you are in line with regulations. In my state, Queensland requires ALL hives to be registered. This is of course to assist with management of pests, disease and protection of the honey industry. You may need to pay a registration fee or not. It depends on the government body you are dealing with. Be sure you know and understand you local regulations.
So now you can start to source your bees. The local beekeepers club may assist you, you may find a beekeeper who will sell you a hive or a nuc (nucleas) to get you started or if you are lucky you may catch a swarm. Alternatively if you are in the Granite Belt of Queensland we may be able to assist you. Head over to our sister site Torfoot Farm to learn more about our offerings. Which ever way you start you must be sure you have protective clothing and equipment necessary for managing the bees. FlowHive Bundle (which is what we purchased) comes with hive tools, protective clothing, gloves and smoker. You need all these things to manage a hive. We are proud bee carers and becoming a member of the local beekeepers group has put us in touch with support and knowledge on the road to beehive stewardship.
Some Questions
The developers of the FlowHive have sold out of stock several times this year as a result of the renewed interest in all things sustainable and coronavirus lockdowns. This raises some questions.
Have all these people who bought this equipment actually gone on to become beekeepers? Beekeepers and clubs I have spoken to indicated that supplies are walking off the shelves. They also tell me it’s been a hard year for breeding healthy colonies and they are not splitting hives as frequently as a result of harsh weather conditions. So by default, this would seem to indicate that while people are buying equipment there does not seem to be a readily available supply of bees to build new hives. Are there lots of empty beehives sitting in backyards? I think probably yes.
Will there be a glut of these beehives hitting the secondhand market in the future? One can assume that this may be the case when lives become busy once more and there is little time for the pleasures gained by stewardship. Only time will tell.
Did they go out and learn what it takes to look after and manage a bee colony?
Speaking with local clubs and some further afield it would seem that our Covid situation has in fact stopped a lot of beginner beekeeping courses from running and many have also stopped member field days in which valuable skills are learned and practiced under the tutelage of the more experienced. Certainly the only course I could find was a 5 hour drive away. So on the face of it all, it would seem that many of these would be new beekeepers have not been taught how to care for, manage and maintain a bee hive. Don’t get me wrong this is not a criticism.
I wonder if these new beekeepers will know what to do or even look for should they be faced with a hive disease or worse.
The concerns I have are these. New beekeepers are encouraged by the company to contact their local beekeeping club or seek out a course to learn about bees but that in my opinion is not enough. A list of clubs or mentor and courses in the purchaser’s area would be far more useful.
Support
FlowHive do have an online course available but at extra cost. They also have a forum type community to help out but I found it a bit hit and miss. Regular Facebook live demonstrations and videos are posted to increase knowledge and awareness. This aspect being very useful. The YouTube channel is also chocked full of useful content for the budding beekeeper. But I feel there is still something lacking.
Potentially offering a beginners course as part of the package price or at a low cost would be one way to ensure the safety of the bees and the honey industry as a whole. Recommended reading lists, and links to beekeeping mentors or clubs would also provide another level of learning and stewardship.
So we are part of the Flow Community now and look forward to assisting others to get up and running. If you would like to follow our journey or see how things develop over time why not join our Facebook group. You can read more on our sister site Torfoot Farm.
