Hive & Housing
Flow Hive
A super of split cells that drains honey at a tap.
The Flow hive is an ordinary Langstroth hive with one unusual box on top. Its frames hold artificial cells split down the vertical axis: turn a lever and the halves offset, breaking the capping and opening a channel so honey flows down and out of a tap at the back.
It removes the extraction room entirely — no uncapping knife, no centrifuge, no sticky afternoon. What it does not remove is the beekeeping. The colony still needs inspections, swarm control, disease management and winter preparation, and the honey still has to be taken only when it is capped. A Flow super is an extraction convenience, not a substitute for husbandry.
At a glance
Safety
The tap must be closed and the tube secured before you turn any lever, or you will pour honey down the front of the hive. Flow honey is thin and runs fast. Never leave a draining super unattended.
Using it well
- Only drain frames that are at least 80% capped. Uncapped honey is high in moisture and will ferment.
- Drain in two passes: take the clear honey first, then let the remainder settle and drain again.
- Rinse frames with warm water only and let them dry fully before returning them to the hive.
- In cool climates bees may be slow to accept plastic cells. A wax coating or a season of use usually settles it.
Compatibility
Hive types
- Langstroth
- Flow
Bees
European honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Educational reference only. Hive & Honey sells no equipment and takes no sponsorship. Specifications here describe typical products in this category; check the actual figures for the item you own or intend to buy. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and your local regulations.