The main components of a Langstroth/Flow Hive are:

• Base 
  • The base is usually where the hive entrance is situated.
  • The Flow Hive has a base specially designed for honey harvesting, ventilation, and pest management.
  • Raising the hive off the ground can help to prevent predators from eating your bees.
     

• Brood Box
  • Usually the bottom box of a hive.   
  • The queen lives in the brood box, laying up to 2,000 eggs a day.        
  • The Flow Hive has the same type of brood box as a Langstroth hive, with eight to ten removable frames depending on its width.       
  • Flow Hives come supplied with foundationless frames. Frames with pre-built wax and wire or plastic foundation are also available.
     

• Queen Excluder
  • This is a grille that is situated between the brood box and the honey super.
  • It ensures that the queen cannot enter the honey super, so that no eggs are laid there.
       

• Honey Super
  • Bees store nectar here before turning it into honey.
  • The super is where the Flow Frames are situated in a Flow Hive, whereas a Langstroth hive uses traditional wooden frames.

NOTE: Don’t put the honey super on top of the brood box until the colony is well established.
   

• Inner Cover and Roof
  • Keeps your bees dry and warm. 
  • The inner cover of the Flow Hive with has a hole which can be used to install a feeder. Most beekeepers prefer to keep the hole closed, as the bees are likely to build comb in the roof otherwise. 
  • The Flow Hive 2 comes with a plug for the hole in the inner cover. if you have a Classic or Hybrid model, you can cover the hole with a piece of wood, some cloth or mesh.