Our Flow Frames are manufactured from the highest quality food-grade materials.
The clear viewing ends of the frames, as well as the honey tube and caps, are made from a virgin food-grade copolyester. The manufacturers have assured us that it's not only BPA-free, but it is not manufactured with bisphenol-S or any other bisphenol compounds.
Third-party labs have tested this material and have found it to be free of estrogenic and androgenic activity. The centre frame parts are made from a virgin food-grade polypropylene which is also free from any bisphenol compounds and is widely accepted as one of the safest plastics for food contact.
It's important to always buy genuine Flow products to ensure your bees are safe.
Plastics have been used for many years in beehives for both brood and honeycombs and have not been found to negatively impact on bee colonies.
The blades in our Flow Frames form partial honeycomb cells. The bees “complete” these cells by joining the gaps and drawing the comb out, then coat the entire cell with wax.
Light microscope images of Flow Frame honeycomb cells (x7 magnification) (a) 'clean' unused Flow Frame with partially formed honeycomb cells; (b) & (c) top surface of a used Flow frame showing honeycomb cells fully drawn with wax (b) and gaps filled with wax/propolis (c); (d) Single row of fully-drawn honeycomb cells from a Flow frame, note wax lining sides of cells; (e) and (f) Surface of a single Flow blade from a used Flow Frame showing wax added by the bees coating the entire surface of the blade.
We are constantly striving to further develop and improve our products and continue to investigate alternate materials which may be suitable for manufacturing.
