Best Timing for Splitting a Hive?

[Shutler]

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!

 

[drex]

I doubt whether either colony would be strong enough to benefit from the OSR flow. Too ambitious.

 

[enrico]

..

 

[enrico]

So you would be relying on your own drones from the same hive?

 

[Anduril]

So you would be relying on your own drones from the same hive?

In another thread that has been started, it will be the introduction of a mated queen.

 

[Shutler]

So you would be relying on your own drones from the same hive?

Not relying on my own drones, no. I’ll be introducing a mated queen to the split. My main concern is ensuring the timing works well so both colonies have enough time to build up before the rapeseed flow.

 

[Shutler]

In another thread that has been started, it will be the introduction of a mated queen.

got there before me! hah thank you

 

[Shutler]

I doubt whether either colony would be strong enough to benefit from the OSR flow. Too ambitious.

I was thinking that to, but wanted to see other opinions, thank you

 

[Anduril]

got there before me! hah thank you

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.

 

[SWEET]

The colony is currently strong

The population is still in decline, check again mid/end March.

 

[Shutler]

The population is still in decline, check again mid/end March.

should have said looks strong, but i will do.

 

[Shutler]

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.

Thank you, in that case, I’ll keep an eye on them and probably ignore the rapeseed harvest. My main concern is how quickly OSR honey crystallises—do you think I should be worried about that if I leave it on the hive too long? Would it be better to take what I can early or just focus on getting the colonies strong first?

 

[SWEET]

should have said looks strong, but i will do.

You could leave them until they start swarm prep's then split, more fun and saves you buying a Queen and losing it and halts your bees legging it

 

[ericbeaumont]

The colony is currently strong

Strong with winter bees, probably, so a long while to go before estimating real 2025 strength.

introducing a new mated queen to the split

The weaker the split the more likely that the travelled queen will be accepted, so even on 8 frames of brood in late spring you could make up a 3f nuc with sealed brood, stores, comb to fill, and extra shakes of bees. As the main colony will be laying well they will make up the loss, and the nuc will soon build and need upgrading.

Consider using one of these to increase the chance of acceptance; nothing more dispiriting to check after a week and find that they killed the expensive queen and made QCs on her eggs.

 

[ericbeaumont]

how quickly OSR honey crystallises

Within a fortnight, but check the combs. Some say to take them as the flower petals droop. Heard of a beekeeper who took them off, put them in the honey room and went to bed. Next morning the whole lot had set like concrete.

better to take what I can early or just focus on getting the colonies strong first?

If If you want a decent OSR harvest keep the colony together because when OSR is in flower and the weather is fine, bees will build fast, fill every corner and swarm halfway through, so that is the time to ride the big wave and split or do whatever you wish.

I like SWEET's plan: split when strong on OSR with signs of QCs, and save on buying a new queen (provided the temper & productivity of your current colony is good).

Couple of 'howevers' in that, because your farmer may not have planted OSR this year, the weather may be duff and the variety may not produce much. Best plan is to talk to your farmer.

 

[Shutler]

Consider using one of these to increase the chance of acceptance; nothing more dispiriting to check after a week and find that they killed the expensive queen and made QCs on her eggs.

Thank you, I'll check them out.

The weaker the split the more likely that the travelled queen will be accepted, so even on 8 frames of brood in late spring you could make up a 3f nuc with sealed brood, stores, comb to fill, and extra shakes of bees. As the main colony will be laying well they will make up the loss, and the nuc will soon build and need upgrading.

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?

 

[ericbeaumont]

same process but start them directly in a brood box instead of a nuc

Colony size should match box size and so a 6f poly nuc will suit a nuc split, but the other advantage is that poly is thermally efficient and will enable the weak split to thrive.

You can offer something similar by shutting off half the BB by using PIR cut to size to form a wall. Is your hive wood or poly, and are the crownboard holes open?

You may want to split into a BB because you have no poly nucs, but if it's because you're in a hurry to run more colonies, don't, because beekeeping is a long game and (if you learn to read them) bees will show you best when to make increase.

 

[Shutler]

If If you want a decent OSR harvest keep the colony together because when OSR is in flower and the weather is fine, bees will build fast, fill every corner and swarm halfway through, so that is the time to ride the big wave and split or do whatever you wish.

to be honest 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. mainly just thinking about them packing the hives out with OSR and it crystallising.

I like SWEET's plan: split when strong on OSR with signs of QCs, and save on buying a new queen (provided the temper & productivity is good of your current colony).

Thank you, definitely something to look into instead.

Couple of 'howevers' in that, because your farmer may not have planted OSR this year, the weather may be duff and the variety may not produce much. Best plan is to talk to your farmer.

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

You can offer something similar by shutting off half the BB by using PIR cut to size to form a wall. Is your hive wood or poly, and are the crownboard holes open?

We have wooden hives, but also a poly nuc and a wooden one. Currently crownboard holes are open/ blocked as they've got fondant over the top.


thank you by they way, some great info!

 

[ericbeaumont]

crownboard holes are open/ blocked as they've got fondant over the top.

I read that to suggest that if the fondant was absent the holes would be open?

If so, get a piece of PIR offcut (min. 50mm) and fit it flush onto the whole CB; some glue it to the CB, some into the roof as well. Seal the roof vents. These changes in combo will ensure thermal efficiency, which leads to colony strength.

The catalogues and manufacturers live in the past and supply CBs with holes for Porter bee escapes (another useless item), but though top ventilation may have been useful when the majority of UK hives ran with solid floors, mesh floors and top vents will compromise colony success, as the bees must work to replace nest heat lost through the chimney.

 

[Shutler]

I read that to suggest that if the fondant was absent the holes would be open?

If so, get a piece of PIR offcut (min. 50mm) and fit it flush onto the whole CB; some glue it to the CB, some into the roof as well. Seal the roof vents. These changes in combo will ensure thermal efficiency, which leads to colony strength.

The catalogues and manufacturers live in the past and supply CBs with holes for Porter bee escapes (another useless item), but though top ventilation may have been useful when the majority of UK hives ran with solid floors, mesh floors and top vents will compromise colony success, as the bees must work to replace nest heat lost through the chimney.

Sorry I should have been more specific. They’d be closed/ blocked with wood. The roof is currently filled with natural sheep’s wool and hessian.