Back in 2015, two Australian beekeepers started a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign with their clever invention, the flow hive. They raised more than $2 million in the first 24 hours alone. The idea was to design a beehive that could siphon honey without opening the lid to disturb the bees.
The pair has now launched the next version, the flow hive 2 and it too has gotten an overwhelming response. The newer version is not a completely different product but there has only been an improvement on a bunch of small features, making the new edition easier to use.
The fundamentals remain the same. Special frames called Flow Frames are used inside the hive. There have partly formed honeycomb cells already attached and when the outer tap is turned, the frames slightly split the honeycombs vertically and allow the honey to flow out without disturbing the bees.
The Flow Frames have also undergone an improvement since 2015 and the flow hive 2 features these improved frames. The flow hive 2 also adds a number of small design tweaks like a harvesting shelf to hold the honey harvesting jars and a new ventilation control system to make sure the bees are comfortable in all seasons.
The smart invention smashed crowdfunding records again and the initial campaign raised $14.8 million and the excessive demand has led to the pre-sale being extended where you can get your hands on one for $749. You can take a look at all the features in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADPaZ8w1Umg