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 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!