No, you cannot harvest beeswax or honeycomb directly from the standard Flow Frames found in a Flow Hive. The proprietary Flow technology is engineered specifically for extracting liquid honey while leaving the beeswax structure intact.
The design relies on splitting the cells vertically to allow honey to drain out, after which the wax cells are reset for the bees to reuse. This means the wax never leaves the hive during the standard harvesting process.
The Flow Hive system prioritizes liquid honey extraction and colony efficiency by preserving the comb structure. To harvest wax or honeycomb, you must bypass the Flow Frames entirely and utilize specific hive modifications or hybrid setups.
The Logic Behind the Design
Preserving the Infrastructure
The core function of a Flow Frame is to separate the honey from the wax without destroying the comb. When you turn the activation key, the cells split to create channels for the honey to flow out, but the wax capping and cell walls remain in the hive.
The Efficiency Ratio
Because the wax is preserved, bees do not need to rebuild the comb after every harvest. This significantly increases honey production rates.
Bees consume a massive amount of energy to build comb; it takes approximately 7kg of honey to produce just 1kg of wax. By reusing the wax, the colony directs its resources toward foraging and honey storage rather than reconstruction.
Workarounds for Harvesting Wax
While the Flow Frames themselves do not yield wax, the Flow Hive housing is compatible with methods that do. You can use the following strategies to harvest comb:
1. The Hybrid Super Configuration
If you own a "Hybrid" model, your super (the upper box) contains a mix of Flow Frames and conventional timber frames. The timber frames allow bees to build natural comb, which you can remove to harvest both chunk honey and beeswax.
2. Adding a Traditional Super
You can place a standard box containing foundationless timber frames on top of your Flow Super. Bees will move up into this box to draw out fresh comb. This allows you to cut honeycomb directly from the timber frames while keeping the Flow Frames below for liquid extraction.
3. Using the Roof Cavity
For small-scale wax harvesting, you can remove the plug in the inner cover of the hive. By placing a container in the roof area above this opening, you encourage the bees to build burr comb or wild comb inside the container, which can then be harvested.
Understanding the Trade-offs
Intrusiveness vs. Yield
Harvesting honey via Flow Frames is non-intrusive; you do not open the hive, and bees are left undisturbed. Harvesting wax requires opening the hive, smoking the bees, and physically removing frames or comb, which disrupts the colony's workflow.
Equipment Requirements
Standard Flow harvesting requires no additional equipment—just the key and a jar. If you choose to add traditional frames for wax harvesting, you may need crushing tools or a centrifuge (extractor) to separate honey from the wax properly.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
Depending on your priorities, you should configure your hive differently:
- If your primary focus is maximum liquid honey: Stick to the standard Flow Frames; this minimizes the energy bees waste on wax production and simplifies your harvesting process.
- If your primary focus is harvesting honeycomb: Add a traditional super with foundationless frames or switch to a Hybrid model to ensure you have accessible comb to cut.
Ultimately, the Flow Hive is a flexible tool that can accommodate wax harvesting, provided you understand that the Flow Frames themselves are strictly for liquid honey.
Summary Table:
| Harvesting Goal | Equipment Used | Process Type | Primary Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Honey | Standard Flow Frames | Non-intrusive (Key-turn) | Pure liquid honey |
| Honeycomb | Hybrid Super / Timber Frames | Intrusive (Opening hive) | Raw chunk honey |
| Beeswax | Traditional Frames / Roof Cavity | Manual Extraction | Raw wax for processing |
| Efficiency | Reusable Wax Structure | Automated Drainage | High honey yield |
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