Plan winter around the colony’s usable food and occupied space, not around whether a Flow super happens to be attached. Removing an empty harvesting super is different from removing stores the bees still need. Decide on the winter arrangement before lifting the box off.
Decide from stores, colony strength and local conditions
Review colony strength, queen evidence, health and food after the main crop, while conditions still permit useful checks. An empty or lightly used Flow super may add space without providing needed food. A super containing essential reserves needs a food plan before removal. Flow’s manufacturer describes more than one winter arrangement; its overseas examples are not a fixed UK calendar. Local forage and climate, your brood-box configuration and the colony’s actual condition should determine the choice.
Plan where the colony’s winter food will be
Identify how much usable food will remain in the brood box or retained conventional boxes. Do not remove the last food simply to store the Flow equipment tidily. If additional feed is needed, arrange it early enough for the colony and conditions, then monitor uptake and weight. A cold cluster may not reach distant stores. Where food remains above the brood, remove an excluder that would prevent the queen travelling with the cluster; the excluder guide explains that decision.
Remove the Flow super with the queen protected
Prepare a clean, covered place for the super and safe help for a heavy lift. Check for brood and the queen before clearing bees from a box. Use an appropriate bee-clearing method for the actual setup; avoid shaking or brushing bees roughly, exposing comb for robbing, or trapping the queen outside the colony. Follow harvesting and treatment restrictions where they apply. Replace the crownboard and roof promptly and make sure the remaining stack is secure and weatherproof.
Clean and dry Flow Frames within manufacturer limits
Follow the current cleaning instructions for your Flow Frame model. Flow advises thorough drying before storage; moisture and residual contents need attention. Do not use boiling water, a flame, solvent or an improvised disinfectant on plastic frames. A wax-moth freezing method for ordinary comb is not automatically a complete cleaning or disease-disinfection procedure for Flow hardware. If disease is suspected, consult the bee inspector and manufacturer before reusing affected frames.
Store frames away from pests and ultraviolet light
Keep cleaned, fully dry frames in a dry, protected, dark location: Flow plastic is ultraviolet-sensitive. Use a suitable closed container or wrapping to prevent pests, and inspect stored equipment periodically. Do not seal damp equipment away and assume it will remain sound. The manufacturer describes freezer storage for frames retaining honey for later use by bees; check freezer capacity, food hygiene, model instructions and the history of those contents before choosing it. Outdoor frost is not equivalent to controlled freezer storage.
Prepare for spring without adding the super too early
In spring, inspect the stored equipment for damage, contamination and correct frame operation before returning it to the colony. Add the super only when colony development and nectar conditions justify it; a small colony needs its brood nest established first. Check the queen’s location before refitting an excluder, especially if upper food boxes remained over winter. Keep feeding out of the harvesting arrangement and use the main Flow setup guide for inspection and super-readiness decisions.
Related Jurassic Bees guides
Sources and further guidance
This guide brings together Jurassic Bees’ teaching and knowledge-bank material with the following external guidance. External recommendations are not presented as our own apiary observations.
Reviewed 30 October 2026. For hive-specific help, use our contact form or your local association mentor. Product and medicine instructions take precedence for the equipment and treatment concerned.