By KEVIN WALKER Michigan Correspondent QUEENSLAND — An Australia-based business is seeking to radically change beekeeping. The firm, called Flow, was founded by father and son team Stuart and Cedar Anderson. Although the company has only been around since 2015, it quickly began taking orders for its unique beehives and has now reached $12 million in sales. According to company spokesman Aaron Bertram, as of April the company had sold 20,000 of the patented units. The core of the beehive system is the frame. Usually, there are 10 frames in a standard Langstroth hive box. With the Flow system, there are only seven. Bees fly in and out of the box during the warm season, bringing in nectar and storing it on the frame foundation, which is often made of plastic with a thin coat of beeswax. The bees build on the foundation with beeswax to make the characteristic hexagonal cells, which are then filled with nectar. Over time the nectar is transformed into honey as the water evaporates. For beekeepers who want to take some of the honey for themselves or customers, it’s necessary to remove each rectangular frame, cut through a sealed layer on the outside of the honeycomb once the frame has been filled and then extract the liquid. Usually, the beekeeper gets the honey out by placing the frames in a cylindrical tank that is turned quickly, either by a hand crank or motor, forcing the honey out. It’s all a lot of work. The Flow Hive system changes all that by creating a space in the center of each frame where the nectar will seep through the individual cells. The space makes each frame wider than the typical frame. The nectar lies in this space until it is ready to be extracted. Each frame has a plug with a small drainage tube attached, which can be opened up when ready. It seems reminiscent of what maple syrup producers do when they tap their trees. “It certainly does work,” Bertram said. “More than 50,000 Flow Hives have now been sold in more than 100 countries around the world, in all kinds of climates and environments. It’s an absolute game-changer for beekeepers, reducing the time and effort involved in harvesting honey to almost nothing. “With a Flow Hive, you turn the Flow Key and the honey drains out. Depending on viscosity, it might take 15 minutes or a few hours. Where the weather is very cold, you may need to let it go overnight, but that is rare.” Bertram further explained that since the frames don’t need to be removed from the hive box, all the effort normally needed to clean things up and reinsert the frames back into the box is also obviated, saving the beekeeper many additional hours of labor. He added the bees are less stressed by the Flow Hive because they are never disturbed. Trenton, Mich.-based beekeeper Zygmunt Mulka is definitely a believer in the Flow Hive system. He bought his first this spring. He said the unit cost him more than the typical Langstroth hive, but it’s worth it. “I purchased the hive and I purchased the bees and I’ve already harvested 60 pounds of honey,” Mulka said. “My first harvest was in July and my second harvest was at the end of August. Now they still have plenty of honey for the winter. “The quality of the Flow Hive was dynamite. They did the whole thing right.” To find out more about the business, the Flow Hive system and pricing, go to the company website at www.honeyflow.com |
