When a tap attached to a specifically developed honeycomb "Flow" frame within the hive is opened, the bee-formed cells are split slightly open inside the comb, thereby allowing channels to form through which the honey flows down to a sealed trough and out of the hive straight into collecting jars. All the while, the bees are virtually undisturbed on the surface of the comb.

Created by father and son team, Stuart and Cedar Anderson, the Flow frames are special beehive frames to which already partly formed honeycomb cells are attached. Once the frames are fitted inside a conventional apiarist's bee box, the bees inside finish building the comb with their own wax then proceed to top up the cells with honey that they produce before capping the cells in the usual manner.

Unbeknownst to the bees, however, these frames are actually made in two halves, so that when the combination splitter/tap is turned on, the contents inside of the cells are simply allowed to flow out without having to remove the wax-seals. When the honey has finished draining into the collection jars – which takes anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, depending on the temperature and viscosity of the honey – the tap is turned back to its original position, the bees chew through the wax seals, and once more fill the cells with honey.