As a beekeeper, I've heard a bit about flow hives here and there, and I've always quickly dismissed them as a 'flash in the pan' product - something not to be taken seriously or worth giving any consideration to. In my mind, I've pictured an adorable farm couple in bath robes tip-toeing at dawn through the dewy meadow with mugs of hot tea to add a bit of honey to the cups from the pristine flow hive set off to the side of the barn for easy access. With one turn of the spigot, each is rewarded with a free flow of honey that literally glows as it breaks the surface of the tea and they beam as bright as the rising sun as they stir the flowing delicacy into their individual mugs with all of their collectives worries rising with the steam and evaporating away as the breeze carries it away to -- well, I think you get the picture. Except I forgot to mention the three fawns with the momma doe watching from the edge of the field, peeking through the daisies. That's how silly I thought it all was...
Now, as the owner of a beekeeping supply company, I've had to circle back and do some hard thinking about this. I never expected to hear so many requests from customers about flow hives and it's put me in a very embarrassing spot not to be able to answer even the most basic questions about them. And since no one seemed to be amused by my "farm couple in bathrobes" story, I decided that I'd better get some hands-on experience with flow hives.
To that end, I watched numerous YouTube videos about the process of setting up and maintaining flow hives. Very quickly, I realized that this was not a turnkey product for people who knew little to nothing about beekeeping, nor was it a simple 'set it and forget it' process. Now curious to learn more, I ordered a full flow hive setup and enough flow frames to build a half dozen flow hives for those who have asked about them.
As you can see in the photo, most of what I ordered has arrived and sits ready to do ... something with. I'm still not convinced that a flow hive setup really belongs in my apiary but like I said earlier, I should probably have one set up so I can answer questions about it or to show it to customers who are seriously considering one. So if you fall into that category, rest assured that I will have one set up soon and actually know enough to answer your questions.
Kitsap Beekeeping Supply has a class for new beekeepers on March 21, 2026 (which is nearly sold out but still has a few spots open) and my goal is to have the hive set up by then for anyone curious enough to take a look at it. There won't be any bees it in but you'll be able to look inside and see for yourself what it's all about and why it's often a divisive product amongst beekeepers.
Is it for me in the long run? Probably not, but I'll try anything once, even if only to learn something new and expand my horizons a bit. Does it have a place in the beekeeping field and as inventory in my store? It probably does. But I won't know it until I get my hands dirty with it.
Stay tuned ... the adventure continues and I will update my findings along the way.
Jim W. Coleman
Owner
Kitsap Beekeeping Supply
360-440-6745
