by Flow Admin 4 min read
When moving a beehive there are a few things you need to remember, be it a short distance across the garden, or a longer journey to a new location. We'll guide you through both scenarios, and there are a few essentials you need to remember.
Suit up - Bees can become agitated when their home is moving around, and who can blame them? So it's important that you wear protective gear such as a full bee suit, including gloves and veil when moving your hive. Even if you've sealed the hive, there's always a chance some bees could find a way out, or there may be stragglers around that won't appreciate your efforts.
Strap up – When moving a beehive, it's important to make sure it all stays together. You can secure the baseboard to the brood box using straps. For long distance moves, we use a couple of ratchet straps to be safe. For shorter moves, a single strap should be enough.
Shut the door! Or don't – The distance you plan to travel will dictate whether or not you should seal the entrance of your beehive before moving. For moves of less than 30 feet, we recommend leaving the hive open. Anything longer and you should seal up the entrance. The best time to do this is at night, or very early in the morning while all the bees are inside the hive. This way you will avoid losing any bees that are out foraging. If there are some bees around the entrance to the hive, use your smoker to gently encourage them back inside. There's no need to blow smoke into the hive, but a few puffs around the entrance should be enough to send them inside. When they're in, you can block up the entrance. We like to use steel wool, which can be pushed into the entrance. You can also cover the entrance with mesh, and secure it with tape or staples. Don't forget to close the roof- the Flow Hive 2 comes with a plug, if you've got the Flow Hive Classic you'll need to block the hole in the inner cover, this can be done easily with some mesh.
Keep it cool – Beehives can heat up very quickly, so ventilation is really important! When sealing your hive before moving it, always make sure that air can circulate. Flow Hives come with inbuilt ventilation control, so ensure that this is open. If you've got a screened baseboard, ventilation is taken care of. If not, you'll want to use mesh, which you can staple or tape over the entrance. Also, be careful not to leave the hive in direct sunlight for too long.
No place like home – Bees are oriented to where their hive is located. When moving a beehive, we want to ensure that the bees will get used to their new home, and not return to their original hive location. The distance you want to move your hive will determine the method you should use. If you're going more than 4 miles, then the bees won't recognize the new area and are unlikely to return to the old spot. If you're moving a shorter distance than that, you'll have to take some steps to ensure the bees can find the hive at the new location.
by Flow Hive 3 min read
Harvest 46lbs of honey when your Flow Super is full
More room in the brood box for the queen to lay, which can lead to a bee colony of greater numbers.
Recommended for beekeeping in cold climates
10 frame Langstroth sizing
Harvest 40 lbs of honey when your Flow Super is full
Our most popular Flow Hive size around the world
8 frame Langstroth sizing
Control the height and level of your hive perfectly, even on uneven ground, ensuring the ultimate slope for honey harvesting.
Keep your hive level to aid in straight foundationless brood comb formation
Keep your hive dry and off the ground, preventing ground dwelling pests from gaining easy access.
Flow Hive 2+ – 6 Frame
Flow Hive 2 – 6 Frame
8 frame Langstroth beehives
Flow Hive 2+ – 7 Frame
Flow Hive 2 – 7 Frame
10 frame Langstroth beehives
Bee suits are designed to be worn slightly baggy over your normal clothing, so it’s best to choose a slightly larger size than you would normally wear.
Be sure to give yourself plenty of room to move around with additional length for movement – ankles and wrists need to remain covered when you’re crouching, bending or stretching.
You do not want the suit to be tight fitting – it’s this loose fitting material that offers sting prevention.
If in doubt or between sizes, go up to the next size:
Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | ||||||||||
50 | 56 | 62 | 68 | 74 | 80 | 86 | 92 | 98 | 104 | 110 | |
145 - 150 | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | |||||||
150 - 155 | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | |||
155 - 160 | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | L | ||
160 - 166 | XS | XS | XS | S | M | M | M | L | XL | XL | |
166 - 171 | XS | S | S | M | M | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL |
171 - 176 | M | M | M | M | L | L | L | L | XL | 2XL | 2XL |
176 - 181 | L | L | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL |
181 - 186 | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | |
186 - 191 | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
191 - 197 | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | ||
197 - 204 | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 5XL |
Height (feet) | Weight (lbs) | ||||||||||
110 | 123 | 137 | 150 | 163 | 176 | 190 | 203 | 216 | 229 | 243 | |
4'9" - 4'11" | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | |||||||
4'11" - 5'1" | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | |||
5'1" - 5'3" | 2XS | 2XS | XS | S | S | M | M | M | L | ||
5'3" - 5'5" | XS | XS | XS | S | M | M | M | L | XL | XL | |
5'5" - 5'7" | XS | S | S | M | M | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL |
5'7" - 5'9" | M | M | M | M | L | L | L | L | XL | 2XL | 2XL |
5'9" - 5'11" | L | L | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL |
5'11" - 6'1" | L | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | |
6'1" - 6'3" | L | L | L | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | |
6'3" - 6'5" | XL | XL | XL | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | ||
6'5" - 6' 7" | 2XL | 2XL | 2XL | 3XL | 3XL | 4XL | 5XL | 5XL |
Due to global shipping difficulties some products are preorder. To allow you the most time building and preparing your new hive, we will ship your Flow Hive now, with your suit and smoker to follow when these items are both in stock at no extra cost.