# Beekeeping-Discussion, pics, tips and tricks.



## Danwood (20/10/15)

There's growing interest in the role bees play in our lives, and rightly so.

Not just from the perspective of the honey they can provide us with, but also their importance in ensuring crop success, from backyard vege patches up to commercial operations.

So, this is the thread for all things bees and beekeeping. Information solely on buying honey can be found here http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/88467-pimp-your-honey/ and here http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/86678-bulk-honey-buy-eoi-east-melbourne/

Whether you work with the common European or Western Honey bee, or encourage the many native bees into your garden, post up your pics, questions and advice so we can all learn and benefit from their increased presence in our gardens.

Personally, I don't have hives of my own yet, but have been doing some work for my FILs commercial pollination and honey production business.

Firstly, it was working on the coordination of ~100,000 hives required for the Almond pollination contracts for Olam, Select Harvest and Macquarie in the Robinvale area. This was a very busy 4 week period, with Apiarists trucking in up to 6000 hives from all over Aus.

Then, more recently, the splitting and re-queening of ~1000 of his own hives. Afterwards, the weaker single box hives went to Canola sites to build up. The stronger hives went to Orange grove sites and had supers (another, shallower box) placed on top. These would then be removed when full of honey and replaced with an empty for the process to be repeated.

I now have a much greater understanding and respect for the work that goes into the production of honey and the general work that goes into the maintaining of healthy colonies.
10-20 stings and average 12-14hrs work per day ensures this understanding, believe me ! 

So, show us your hives (no, not that angry-looking rash in your intimate area, thankyou !)




Hives being split. 2-3 frames of brood extracted from a strong hive and moved to a hive with empty frames, which the bees colonise when the brood hatches.



A strong hive, already with a good crop of honey.



Weaker hives at a Canola site. These were queenless at this stage. A day later we introduced an un-hatched queen cell to each of these.

Lastly, some action shots











Cheers, Dan


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## TimT (20/10/15)

We don't have anywhere near that amount! We have two hives - not harvesting honey from our established one anytime soon because they've had a very slow few months, after being set back with wasps, damp, and chalkbrood over the last few months. We've nadired another box onto the base of them to keep growing over the remainder of spring and summer. 

Then there's the swarm we've rehomed - they originally swarmed in Ashburton, we collected them and they're now established in our backyard. They're small in numbers but bringing in pollen so are obviously breeding. The second generation will hopefully come out soon and they'll start to prosper - maybe we can get a few frames of honey from them in late summer or autumn. 

We've got another two boxes at a friends land near Seymour, and on my mother-in-law's balcony - hoping a swarm will find them! 

And lastly but not leastly the Baron/my wife/partner in crime helped with a swarm that recently established themselves in a friend's upturned recycling bin in Coburg. So. An exciting time of year!


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## Danwood (20/10/15)

Sounds good, Tim. I'm on the look out for a swarm in nature reserves around here, but no luck yet.

As you say, it's a busy time of year, and bees often out-grow their surroundings and swarm off, looking for a different site.

You say you've added a box to your struggling hives. I'm not sure how big they are, but make sure they need the space right now. Otherwise they might be struggling to heat a home that may be bigger than they need. A common cause of chalkbrood is cold.
Apologies if you already know all this, which you probably do, you seem experienced. You likely meant you added the extra box very recently, since the temps have risen.

Yes, it's been a bad winter for Victorian bees. Very cold and lots of Nosema/Dysentry about.

The bees that came in for the almond job from Queensland compared to Victorian hives had fared much, much better over winter. The QLD hives were largely 10 frame doubles and most had ~15 solid frames of bees in them. Monsters.


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## TimT (20/10/15)

Yeah we gave them another box on Friday for the warm months.


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## Mr. No-Tip (20/10/15)

Awesome thread.

I am a flow hive latecomer...I say that with trepidation after some of the opinions I've seen, but I take issue with some of the old school beekepers who assume that it's going to introduce bad practice and disease. Personally I am doing a course right now ahead of getting a swarm maybe late this season or holding till next year. In any case, taking the whole thing fairly seriously. I find the disdain a bit like BIAB or Braumeister opinions back in the day, hehe.

The commercial almond stuff is really interesting. Such an insane amount of bees. What do you think about the vegan campaign 'almonds are not vegan'? http://almondsarenotvegan.com/
I am not a vegan or an advocate at all, but like to hear more about these things. I can't find a reference now, but I've heard it suggested that hives used in the Cali harvest are not well looked after and have a high failure rate. Seeing the almond harvest here, would you give any creedence to those claims?


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## TimT (20/10/15)

Probably by that definition no vegan food is vegan, since the growing of vegetables will inevitably attract predators of some sort and inevitably they are going to have to be killed. 

I don't know how relevant the link is in the Australian context - they're referring to the Californian almond harvest.


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## Camo6 (20/10/15)

Really want to sneak a hive in the backyard when I get a bit more time so:

Suuuuuuuuubscribed!


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## Danwood (20/10/15)

I'm not sure about all that vegan stuff, but I can comment on the Californian thing.

Their almond farms are all in the same valley over there and are owned by lots of different companies. And the scale of it is massive !

The US is the world leaders in production and they need huge numbers of bees to ensure a good crop set. The price per hive for the pollination is markedly higher than here too. 
Currently it's around $80ish per hive here for Almonds, depending on the company/farm you've been allocated to, also the quality of the hives supplied. In the US it's around double that.
Because of this high price, some apiarists over there artificially feed their hives for the whole year leading up to the Almond harvest, finding it more cost efficient only moving the hives once a year as opposed to normal practices where you chase flowering crops, with lots of moves per year.
I'm not exactly sure but I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't similar to battery farming chickens. There must be something wrong in order for them to get a serious disease named after them...American Foul Brood...one of the worst ones out there.
This is information my BIL told me after after their trip over to California visiting the growers and apiarists for a conference.


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## Drunk Az (22/10/15)

I don't currently keep bees but am planning to in the next year or two when I have to time to devote to it, so am slowly researching beekeeping. Thought these videos may be interesting 

https://apicultureanonymous.wordpress.com/2013/07/11/honey-bees-documentaries-watch/


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## Ducatiboy stu (22/10/15)

My parents where bee keepers when I was younger....used to travel Sth NSW even to Vic chasing stands of flowering trees

Spent many a weekend making frames and setting in the honey come bases

used to spend a whole weekend just extracting honey the old fashioned way, capping frames, extracting, filtering.....hot work

Amazing the different flavours and colours from different trees.

Clover and Patersons Curse was very light, almost water like, but some of the Ironbarks where very dark and intense

Australia produces the best honey in the world, mainly due to our relatively clean environment

Hard work but the rewards where worth it

Flow hive is a game changer and full marks to the guys who invented it


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## Danwood (26/10/15)

ABC- 8pm tonight (in 17mins), Australian Story on the invention of the 'Flow Hive'.


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## wide eyed and legless (7/2/16)

Found the thread. Anyone done anything about starting a hive, I realise Tim has and I will either get some bees or get an apiarist to do all the graft for me, what sort of position does the hive have to be in, sunny, shade, partial shade?


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## manticle (7/2/16)

There is a guy down dingley way - Russian guy who's name escapes me but he is a good source of info, queens etc.
Have sent a text to my dad to find out. His one hive is under a tree but not sure if that's to do with shade. They do need a water source nearby.

Hoping to get a hive going here if I can extend the lease.

Let you know when I hear back from my dad.


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## TimT (7/2/16)

Morning sun, shade in the afternoon. Especially in Australia where the summer sun is the worst.


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## wide eyed and legless (7/2/16)

Then I have an ideal spot for the hive anything special about the hive size wise, I reckon I can make a centrifuge to extract the honey, going to have to swat up on this now.


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## manticle (7/2/16)

This guy: http://www.hamptonhives.com.au/buy.html

Not sure about the dingley connection - I had a work colleague who used to look after a couple of hives in parkdale and he told me Dingley. That was a while ago.


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## TimT (7/2/16)

There are various types of hive, bog standard - the bee boxes you see everywhere one on top of another - are usually Langstroeth hives. Then there are the Kenyans - kind of a long box on stilts that tapers from the broad top down to a narrow bottom, so the frames in it are shaped like a triangle (just google Kenyan hive). 

Then there are endless debates about which box size is 'ideal' for bees vs which box size is good for beekeepers.... kinda like the beekeeping equivalent of the rehydrate or not debate here....


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## wide eyed and legless (7/2/16)

Was looking at a supplier in Parkdale, found plans for a hive, any reason for the bright colours? And if I buy a Queen do I get the swarm with her?


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## TimT (7/2/16)

_Was looking at a supplier in Parkdale, found plans for a hive, any reason for the bright colours? _

Nope not as far as I know. 

_And if I buy a Queen do I get the swarm with her? _

Queens are typically bought as replacements for established hives. At any rate you'll need to buy the whole hive - Queen, workers, nurse bees, drones, the lot. Or find a swarm (you'll be waiting until next spring for that).


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## Grainer (7/2/16)

I have 2 hives in cheltenham on my riof and recently started bee keeping.. my mate is an aparist.. best time to start out a hive is in spring.. he also has contacts for swarms in spring as well.. he could have got 5 last year.. if you are close im happy to give you a few tips.. medium boxes are better cause of the heavy lifting involved... . Full depth can get up to 35kg. And that starts to hurt..


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## Grainer (7/2/16)

Also i wouldnt be splitting now.. its not enough time for the hive to establish and keep warm over winter


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## Camo6 (7/2/16)

I'd love to get a hive going in the backyard someday. Would be limited as to where to put it due to regulations.
Is everyone gaining a permit first and have you had any issues doing so?
My neighbour suspected me of dobbing them in to the council when they had a swarm in their cyprus. Had to assure her that I welcomed them as it saved me having to do the work for them, also I hate councils.


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## Grainer (7/2/16)

Hey Camo.. pretty sure you are in the same council as me and we are allowed to have 2 hives on the property pending your property size. And some restrictions e.g. 2 m from fence and 6ft fences but if on ur roof there are no fence limitations.. i have a flat roof so it makes it easy


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## Grainer (7/2/16)

If anyone in melbourne ever sees a swarm contact me asap and i can arrange to harvest it!


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## Camo6 (7/2/16)

Cheers Grainer. My decking roof is flat...

Haha, bet you look the sight up there at harvest time !


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## wide eyed and legless (7/2/16)

I had read that the bees are for sale in August, didn't know if that meant buy the Queen and she lays the eggs making up the rest of the tribe, or buy the Queen and the rest will come, or it was a case of buy the whole lot.


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## Ducatiboy stu (7/2/16)

wide eyed and legless said:


> I had read that the bees are for sale in August, didn't know if that meant buy the Queen and she lays the eggs making up the rest of the tribe, or buy the Queen and the rest will come, or it was a case of buy the whole lot.


Yes you buy a Queen, then split a hive and put the new queen in the split. Without a queen you wont have a hive

I remember we used to get queens mailed to us in a small wooden box with mesh either end


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## nosco (7/2/16)

My mum has a hive as part of a collective which means all she has to do is have the hive at her house and the guys running the collective do all the work and she gets a cut of the honey. Works well with her permaculture garden. The hive split last spring. It was a pretty awsome thing to see and the bees left the coolest looking bees wax in one of her bushes.


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## wide eyed and legless (7/2/16)

That's a good way to start and learn about bee keeping, pick the brains of the man who sets up and collects.


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## TimT (7/2/16)

Yeah, we first got started in bees by doing a hive split ourselves. We'd never done any beekeeping before that.... so thank heavens it worked! 

Best way to get started is to go on a swarm list, I reckon. That way you get to collect a swarm of bees primed and ready to start a new hive - and you can assist them along the way with starter strips for comb and feeds of honey or sugar (if necessary). No fiddling with buying in new queens.

Hook up with local bee groups, there may be some beekeeping collectives or some opportunities to put hives on a friend or neighbour's land. In a way it's worth looking now and going onto a swarm list: you'll be the first in line when swarming season starts in August.


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## Nullnvoid (7/2/16)

manticle said:


> This guy: http://www.hamptonhives.com.au/buy.html
> 
> Not sure about the dingley connection - I had a work colleague who used to look after a couple of hives in parkdale and he told me Dingley. That was a while ago.


Nikolai is one of the nicest guys around, freakin' hard to understand with his accent. His honey is some of the best I have ever tasted.


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## Danwood (9/2/16)

G'day bee blokes !

I haven't posted for a while, but I've done a few more work trips with the bees, so I'll throw up a few pics.

Firstly though, I re-read the thread and there was a few points I will comment on...

@ WEAL - HIve colour. White is arguably the best, as it's coolest in Summer. I've seen some really weird colours used and it often comes down to whatever enamel paint is cheapest at the time of needing to re-paint. Another reason is some apiarists like to provide visual reference points for their bees, to prevent 'drift' (only a problem with larger groups of hives, normally). This doesn't need to be via the box paint though. Leaning a few dead branches around the place will be fine, in the absence of any bushes etc.

@WEAL (I think) - Buying a Queen. This only consists of the (mated) Queen and 3 or 4 escort bees in a wooden box (as Stu said), plugged at one end with a hard sugar 'door'. These are for re-queening a hive which is struggling, either due to an aging Queen or the accidental death during handling etc. The bees will chew through the door after a while, during this time their pheromones will have mixed and the new Queen should be accepted to the hive.
In the case of an aging Queen, the hive will prepare for and lay a new Queen in preparation of the imminent death of the older Queen, but this often leads to an aggressive colony.
And this new Queen will usually follow in the poor brood laying 'footsteps' of her mother, so it's a lose-lose situation, better to re-queen every few years or as needed.
If you want a starter colony, this will be advertised as such. It will include a few frames worth of brood and bees, a mated Queen, pollen and a food source.... honey or a sugar syrup.

@Camo6 - Everyone should register their hives. Becoming part of the governing bodies regarding bees is all about general education and adopting the best practices, especially with regards to disease prevention and management. 

So, Summer is winding down now. Time to ease up on robbing your hives of honey in the next few months. Let them have the stores to get through Winter in the best condition possible.

Here's a few picks from the last couple of work trips.

Moving bees out of Wedderburn (Canola) to Nullawarre, near Warranambool (Mesmate) as a storm moves in.






1/8th of the bees we moved over 4 days. 4 round trips from either Wedderburn or Mildura to Nullawarre...lots of Ks.



Mesmate in flower. This should build the colonies up ready for Almond pollination in July/August and then over-wintering.



A Queen which has been intentionally killed. It is then left on top of the frame and the hive closed up. A few days later, the hive will be re-queened with a newly mated Queen.



A new friend I made on the last trip, a 1.5m Goanna. I ran after it for 200m and chased him up a dead tree....a fairly standard friend-making procedure I've perfected over the years.



Oh, yeah... and I copped a sting on the old coin purse through a rip in the crotchal area of my shorts. Not recommended and considered poor form in the Apicultural industry. Funny as a cat in a box made of mirrors for onlookers, however.


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## Ducatiboy stu (9/2/16)

Danwood said:


> In the case of an aging Queen, the hive will prepare for and lay a new Queen in preparation of the imminent death of the older Queen, but this often leads to an aggressive colony.


And aren't they a LOT of fun... :lol:


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## TimT (9/2/16)

I hear really weird stories about people requeening their hive because it's too aggressive, and the mood of the hive changing *even before* any of the babies the queen lays have had a chance to grow up. Of course beekeepers then go on with their explanations, "oh, there's a pheromone change and the hive's responding", or whatever. Translation: bees are fuckin ornery and nobody bloody knows why they do what they do.


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## wide eyed and legless (9/2/16)

Almost pressed the buy button on a Flow Hive but before I did checked on reviews, some of the traditional bee keepers reckon the bees don't like them, too much plastic, bees have to produce wax and make their own little cells, (the plastic issue sounded like one which crops up on here at times regarding the toxins and safety) Any how found a bee keeper close by who hopefully can teach me the ins and outs.
For me the Flow Hive looks like a great innovation but if the bees aren't happy, (I don't know if their is any scientific study been carried out) I guess I will have to go with an alternative.


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## Danwood (9/2/16)

Yep, there's loads that isn't understood still.

Generally, you only really re-queen when you have definite signs the existing Queen isn't doing too well, such as patchy brood frames.

Ideally, you want solid, concentric rings/bands of eggs, larvae (at different stages) and capped brood, covering 2-4 frames.

TBH, bee keepers are a weird lot anyway. Days/weeks spent 'out bush', often with only their beard for company. It takes it's toll on a man.


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## Danwood (9/2/16)

We use plastic foundation. On a large scale, it's just not feasible to melt wax foundation into wired frames. And in a period of 40+C days, you're going to get mass-meltdowns.

It's recommended to wax dip your plastic a couple of times, just so the bees have a good starting point.

From what I understand, the problem (more of a concern, really) the industry has with flow hives is largely from a disease spreading potential, not with the product, as such.

It needs to be sold with 'a hive is for life, not just for Christmas' tagline. Apiarists are concerned people will enter into it too lightly, get bored, neglect their hive and it then has the potential to spread all manner of communicable diseases. To be fair to Flo-Hive, I think they are trying to doing this. But some people may not tow the line.


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## wide eyed and legless (9/2/16)

Danwood said:


> TBH, bee keepers are a weird lot anyway. Days/weeks spent 'out bush', often with only their beard for company. It take it's toll on a man.


 Can't be any weirder than home brewers surely?


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## Danwood (9/2/16)

Nope. There'd be some serious overlapping if you drew up a Venn diagram of the two pursuits


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## Camo6 (9/2/16)

@Camo6 - Everyone should register their hives. Becoming part of the governing bodies regarding bees is all about general education and adopting the best practices, especially with regards to disease prevention and management. 


That'd be right Dan. Your first assumption is that, being a MoozaBian, Cam's gonna steal a hive, run it illegally in his backyard and then sell the diluted product to school kids. You Cornish are a judgmental lot.

More interested in knowing if anyone has run into opposition gaining a permit even if their conditions are adequate or if the council is likely to conduct an inspection. My rates are high enough without a council employee poking his nose around.

Oh, hard luck on the stones too Dan. I imagine that wouldn't tickle. Wasn't long ago my wife got stung while we were playing a round of golf. When asked by the doc where she was stung I told him between the first and second hole. He reckons her stance was too wide.


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## Grainer (9/2/16)

What I am wondering is if Dan can become a local source of hives for those interested?? comments??


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## Danwood (9/2/16)

I will certainly ask ! I'm not sure if that's ever really been a part of the Monson business, but maybe it could be. Or maybe there's a beekeeper the FIL knows who can help. 

I'm heading up to Mildura again on 6th March to do a bit of work as well as attend a Cert 3 practical component of a bee course through Tocal College at Yanco, NSW.
I'll have an answer for any interested parties then. But keep it on the DL for now...no EOIs or anything. Spring is the likely time anything will happen, if at all. Wrong time of year right now.


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## Ducatiboy stu (9/2/16)

Danwood said:


> TBH, bee keepers are a weird lot anyway. Days/weeks spent 'out bush', often with only their beard for company. It takes it's toll on a man.


Yep

We used to camp in bone dry wheat paddocks next to a stand of trees just to be there when the trees flowered......**** it was boring as shit as a kid


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## Mattress (9/2/16)

wide eyed and legless said:


> Almost pressed the buy button on a Flow Hive but before I did checked on reviews, some of the traditional bee keepers reckon the bees don't like them, too much plastic, bees have to produce wax and make their own little cells, (the plastic issue sounded like one which crops up on here at times regarding the toxins and safety) Any how found a bee keeper close by who hopefully can teach me the ins and outs.
> For me the Flow Hive looks like a great innovation but if the bees aren't happy, (I don't know if their is any scientific study been carried out) I guess I will have to go with an alternative.


I'm doing a beekeeping course next month and plan to have a hive up and running next spring, so I'm certainly no expert.

But, I have done a lot of reading, and the negative comments I have seen on various forums about the flow hive are 100% from people who have had nothing to do with them. The beekeepers who have trialed and used flowhives are very positive about the product.

Below is a link to an American forum on beekeeping that I have been researching, discussing flowhives. It starts off with the usual negative comments until a well known American beekeeper, Michael Bush, gets involved stating that he has been testing them and they work, and are a great product.

I agree with Kevin. It also reminds me of the discussion when BIAB first arrived on the scene - you can't make beer that way, product will be inferior etc. It will be interesting if the beekeeping community will accept them like the naysayers of BIAB have been forced to.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?307501-Extractor-less-honey-by-Flow-Hive/page2&highlight=flowhives


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## Ducatiboy stu (9/2/16)

Flowhive is a game changer. Full Stop. 


Trust me, if you had the choice of pulling hives apart, sitting in a hot room uncapping frames, then extracting the honey in a centrifuge verses just simply placing a bucket under a hive and cracking a tap...

Flowhive...why the **** would you bother doing it the hard way


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## wide eyed and legless (10/2/16)

That last sentence is the clincher, one thing I always look for is an easier way to do something for the same result, as had the inventor of the Flow Hive. My main concern was the well being of the bees.


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## Ducatiboy stu (10/2/16)

Cant be any worse than pulling a hive box apart and removing the frames.


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## TimT (10/2/16)

They were trialling a Flowhive near here recently, I think at the Collingwood Children's Farm. The bees mostly didn't bother with it. Probably because they didn't like the plastic, though the Queen excluder may have been annoying to them too.


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## wide eyed and legless (10/2/16)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Yep
> 
> We used to camp in bone dry wheat paddocks next to a stand of trees just to be there when the trees flowered......**** it was boring as shit as a kid


The first thing that went through my mind was,'Homing bees'


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## Danwood (4/6/16)

So, how's your hives doing coming into winter ? Taking off unnecessary supers, combining two weak hives, maybe increasing insulation on the lid and sides ?
You could think about moving the hive so the back is up against a wall which gets full sun during winter. That extra thermal mass will help them greatly.

Here's a couple of pics of a move we just did up to the hills near Batemans Bay, NSW.

It's a very popular move to the Spotted Gum at this time of year. It should give the bees a feed and increase numbers in preparation for the Almond pollination job or just build honey reserves for over-wintering your hives.


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## Grainer (4/6/16)

Think im screwed.. about to lose 2 hives.. imported queens from WA and all 3 failed! Now 2 hives really low numbers.. shattered


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## Grainer (4/6/16)

TimT said:


> They were trialling a Flowhive near here recently, I think at the Collingwood Children's Farm. The bees mostly didn't bother with it. Probably because they didn't like the plastic, though the Queen excluder may have been annoying to them too.


My mate who goes there suspect flow hive comb is slightly larger and the bees dont like it


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## Feldon (4/6/16)

Grainer said:


> My mate who goes there suspect flow hive comb is slightly larger and the bees dont like it


According to this guy on YouTube the Flow cells are 6.6mm across, whereas the standard cell size (in the US) is 5.4mm.



(skip forward to the 13 minute mark)


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## manticle (5/6/16)

Grainer said:


> Think im screwed.. about to lose 2 hives.. imported queens from WA and all 3 failed! Now 2 hives really low numbers.. shattered


Do you know about hampton hives?
Bit closer than WA.

From memory mentioned earlier in this thread.

http://www.hamptonhives.com.au

Really want to build a hive in my backyard in memory of my dad but I believe council regulations here require 50m radius from nearest dwelling.


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## manticle (5/6/16)

Just found out it's 25 m from street or occupied dwelling according to 2014 regs from my local council, limit of one hive. 

Still probably can't make it work.


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## Mattress (5/6/16)

My Hive is doing well, packed down for winter with good stores of brood and honey.

I've ordered a 5 frame Nucleus hive from a local supplier for next spring.


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## TimT (5/6/16)

_Just found out it's 25 m from street or occupied dwelling according to 2014 regs from my local council, limit of one hive. _

That's shit Manticle. Some options might be having a rooftop hive (as is popular here in Melbourne, often a pretty good idea) or getting together with a mate and setting it up in their backyard. Many beekeepers tend to have 'backyard' arrangements with friends.


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## TimT (5/6/16)

We've been perhaps a wee bit lazy with our hive and shrunk it down to two boxes. (Combination of laziness and not wanting to disturb the bees, as opposed to greed and giving the hive a final check before winter.) They'll be all right as they were super healthy in summer, but maybe we could do something to insulate the hive and reduce the entrance.


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## manticle (5/6/16)

TimT said:


> _Just found out it's 25 m from street or occupied dwelling according to 2014 regs from my local council, limit of one hive. _
> 
> That's shit Manticle. Some options might be having a rooftop hive (as is popular here in Melbourne, often a pretty good idea) or getting together with a mate and setting it up in their backyard. Many beekeepers tend to have 'backyard' arrangements with friends.


There are 'away from home' options but half the joy is watching them - I'm an insect/natural history enthusiast.

Will look at rooftop and work out if that's distance enough.


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## Mardoo (5/6/16)

Man, when I had bees I would spend hours just watching them.


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## TimT (5/6/16)

It's great isn't it! Bee telly is right up there with airlock telly - watching the airlock for bubbles (and occasional kittens) coming out.


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## Ducatiboy stu (5/6/16)

Its a worry when the bees start chasing the kitten


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## Grainer (5/6/16)

TimT said:


> _Just found out it's 25 m from street or occupied dwelling according to 2014 regs from my local council, limit of one hive. _
> 
> That's shit Manticle. Some options might be having a rooftop hive (as is popular here in Melbourne, often a pretty good idea) or getting together with a mate and setting it up in their backyard. Many beekeepers tend to have 'backyard' arrangements with friends.


You may be able to get it on your roof and bypass those limits.. check it out


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## Mattress (29/11/16)

Is everyone else having a great season for honey?


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## Mardoo (29/11/16)

Oh man. It's been years since I kept bees and saw that thing of beauty. Thanks. Early spring run. Just magic.


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## Raturay (30/11/16)

I used to keep 4 or 5 hives in the back yard some years ago but alas developed an allergy to the sting. I should have been more careful not to get stung as much.

Two years ago, and not over my love for bees, I bought a native hive. I recently split the hive with some trepidation but the new hive is thriving. The advantage for me is that they don't sting. The new hive doesn't have a honey box on it and instead has a clear "plastic" top (covered by a removable lid). The grandkids love being able to have a look in the hive.

I like to think that they are doing their bit for our environment. And in their case it's our immediate environment as they usually work within about a 500m radius of home.

The brood photo is the original top brood box while doing the recent split.


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## Crusty (30/11/16)

Mattress said:


> Is everyone else having a great season for honey?


Nicely capped.
How many frames have you got.


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