Best Timing for Splitting a Hive?

[ericbeaumont]

maintaining warmth

If you do split into a BB, give it a solid floor and top insulation, as above.

 

[ericbeaumont]

natural sheep’s wool and hessian.

Not tried that. Does the material absorb moisture?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

March or April would be too early for a split, you may not have 8 frames of brood to play with. But you could use the rapeseed flow to build them up quicker and then splitafter the flow. Or if they built up enough you could split them during the flow.

putting the one colony on the OSR will get them going like a train and you will probably need to split whether you want to or not

 

[Shutler]

Not tried that. Does the material absorb moisture?

It’s bone dry, always feels nice and warm and 100% Organic

 

[Shutler]

If you do split into a BB, give it a solid floor and top insulation, as above.

I think I’ll do it into the poly nuc. I’ve got one so might as well use it, also sounds like the more sensible idea

 

[ericbeaumont]

we arent mainly in it for the honey, we do it for the garden (its a RHS garden and they want bees) so im not worried about a huge yield

Ah, but the but bees are in it for the honey, and definitely interested in a huge yield, so if you expect to tiddle along on OSR you'll come unstuck pdq. Trick is to read them, to think like a bee and to work just ahead of them, so have plenty of boxes ready and split boards or nucs to cope with the tsunami.

OSR is an opportunity to draw good brood comb, so forget running with one BB on OSR because swarming will be inevitable. Before OSR I'd have them on DBB (most overwinter like that, but I swap the boxes round in spring) and then add a third BB above when the flow starts.

You'll also have two or three supers on top of those three, and if you can't be certain of getting them off before it sets, fit cheaper cut comb unwired foundation and sell it as sliceable comb honey. If you extract with unwired CC , do it v sowly in the first year and you won't blow combs.

 

[Shutler]

Ah, but the but bees are in it for the honey, and definitely interested in a huge yield, so if you you expect to tiddle along on OSR you'll come unstuck pdq. Trick is to read them, to think like a bee and to work just ahead of them, so have plenty of boxes ready and split boards or nucs to cope with the tsunami.

OSR is an opportunity to draw good brood comb, so forget running with one BB on OSR because swarming will be inevitable. Before OSR I'd have them on DBB (most overwinter like that, but I swap the boxes round in spring) and then add a third BB above when the flow starts.

You'll also have two or three supers on top of those three, and if you can't be certain of getting them off before it sets, fit cheaper cut comb unwired foundation and sell it as sliceable comb honey. If you extract with unwired CC , do it v sowly in the first year and you won't blow combs.

Just ordered another couple of brood boxes and I think 6 more supers, to go with everything else, so I’d like to think we’re fairly prepared for flood of OSR, we were expecting it because of how many fields are covered around us. Everything we get is either sold and given to charity or donated to local food banks. So I should probably say in it for the honey not the money or profit?
They were over wintered with a single BB and a super of stores, along with fondant (as that’s what another local beekeeper suggested to do)

So with OSR flowering in May, and harvested generally in July, depending on the bees and how much comb they’ve drawn I’d be looking at splitting towards the beginning of June during the flow? All the books I’m now double checking (stuck in the office earlier so couldnt double check) are telling me June too.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

OSR flowering in May, and harvested generally in July,

don't think so, OSR honey will be rock hard by July

 

[JamezF]

don't think so, OSR honey will be rock hard by July

Around here it's often flowering early in April these days, and well over by May.

James

 

[Shutler]

don't think so, OSR honey will be rock hard by July

Sorry I mean harvested as in cut by July

 

[Shutler]

Around here it's often flowering early in April these days, and well over by May.

James

The past few years it seems like everything has been out, either flowering early or late. We’ve had bulbs coming up in November!

 

[Amari]

were surrounded by it, every field for miles. Currently everyone ive spoken to is planting which is why im questioning OSR so much

For several years here in Suffolk the countryside was a sea of yellow OSR in spring. The acreage has dropped off hugely in the last two years, due I believe to the scourge of the flea beetle, so that last year there was no OSR in this parish. Strange difference between the two counties.

 

[solonik29]

There are different ways to split hives but it depends on what are you trying to achieve and local weather conditions.
The exact time may not work as we could say mid April but we could be covered in snow and minus temperatures.

Everyone would do it differently but the simplest way I could recommend :

1) Double brood all the hives you want to split. You can do it quite early.
2) When the weather is warmer start trickle feeding with light 1:1 syrup to stimulate the flow.
3) Once you have a strong colony with 70-80% brood frames just split in two hives
4) Wait 7 days, knock down the queen cells and add a mated queen.

The method is not for everyone but probably the fastest way to get into the season with the split and still get a chance afor a decent honey crop.

If you go down the route of rasing/grafting the queens then as it was rightly mentioned you need to make sure you get a decent weather and matured drones for successful mating.

Good luck

 

[ericbeaumont]

Double brood all the hives

A sound plan, whether they would be split or not. Don't do what I did the first time and stick the new box on top, because they'll just as likely use it as a super (esp. if OSR is coming in) and you'll be back to square one.

Take four or so frames of openish brood from the strong single BB and put it in the new box; centralise combs in both boxes, fill with foundation/comb to the flanks, reassemble and add a super.

 

[Darryl]

Thank you, I'll check them out.


That makes a lot of sense—starting with a nuc and then moving them into a full hive once they’re stronger. Would it be possible to do the same process but start them directly in a brood box instead of a nuc? Are there any potential issues with that—too much space, difficulties in managing a larger hive from the start, maintaining warmth in a bigger 'empty' space, or something else I might be overlooking?

I've found that, instead of a nuc, I put 3-4 frames of bees/brood in a full hive but dummied with a mix of 25mm and 75mm slabs of Kingspan. I can then replace each slab with frames as the colony grows. Insulation in the early stages and a gradual introduction to full hive status.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to split my hive this spring and wanted to check if my timing makes sense. The colony is currently strong, and I’m aiming to do the split early enough to allow both hives to build up before the rapeseed flow.

My plan is to split as soon as the bees have at least 8+ frames of brood, drones are present, and temperatures are consistently above 14°C. I’ll be introducing a new mated queen to the split.

Would March to April be the best window for this, or should I wait a little longer? Also, does anyone have experience with how well a new split handles the rapeseed flow?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

What about using the osr flow if there is one to manipulate using a demaree thhen splitting them using a demaree board intro of new mated queen to the top half once it’s closed off.

 

[SWEET]

should have said looks strong, but i will do.

Like these (April/May)