Downside of April splits

[Hivemaker.]

Colonies looking strong in November might be a long way away from looking good for splitting next April, they need to be well past the crossover point where more young bees emerge compared to old bees dying off. After twenty plus years at the game I still cannot predict with any accuracy when this will be five months in advance.

Very true, if any increase is needed I find it better to do it during September through into October, although of course that may not work well in other areas.

 

[mbc]

Very true, if any increase is needed I find it better to do it during September through into October, although of course that may not work well in other areas.

I like a bit of both, early splits on boomers = swarm control job done

 

[Poly Hive]

If I were to try and make increase in April I would have two three frame nucs of brood.

I also don't like the word split as it is yet another Americanism creeping into our language.

The yanks chop hives in to two then put a queen cell into each half and move on to the next and so on. That is splitting. Crude and possibly effective as many commercial people do it. However...

By dividing colonies so early I do wonder at the cost-effectiveness of doing it. There is ALWAYS a cost to the beekeeper by dividing colonies. Something for the more gung ho to think about.

I am leaning more and more to over wintering nucs so as to make increase if I want to or to replace wintering failures if needed and or to sell on to fund the seasons purchases.

But the bottom line is as I repeat there is always, always a cost.

PH

 

[mbc]

If I were to try and make increase in April I would have two three frame nucs of brood.

I also don't like the word split as it is yet another Americanism creeping into our language.

The yanks chop hives in to two then put a queen cell into each half and move on to the next and so on. That is splitting. Crude and possibly effective as many commercial people do it. However...

By dividing colonies so early I do wonder at the cost-effectiveness of doing it. There is ALWAYS a cost to the beekeeper by dividing colonies. Something for the more gung ho to think about.

I am leaning more and more to over wintering nucs so as to make increase if I want to or to replace wintering failures if needed and or to sell on to fund the seasons purchases.

But the bottom line is as I repeat there is always, always a cost.

PH

Agreed on the cost, as to the nomenclature of a split, it does what it says on the tin.
Some notable beekeepers in north America have advocated walk away splits without even introducing a queen cell, letting the bees raise their own, it may work over there but here where you have to sometimes wait a month after emergence for a virgin to get mated I would say its highly inadvisable.

 

[For want of a better word]

I am trying double deckker Keilers for overwintering queens this year...

Has worked well before on the similar sized Abelo double nucs ( I don't think they make them now)... in Spring merge with a simple" mergeing" plate ( Remove mesh floor and sit atop a q- colony or made up 3 frame nuc.

Lot of fafff.. bud does not invoke importation from Wompoopoo land or where ever!


Yeghes da

 

[SDM]

Lot of fafff.. bud does not invoke importation from Wompoopoo land or where ever!
a

What it doesnt do is address the fact that the new season queens will be less inclined to swarn( all other things being equal )
Nor is there any advantage to those overwintered kielers than there would have been in overwintered nucs, a disadvantage really as you'd have needed to store your empty nuc all winter. I'd consider that wasted kit. Im still a bit annoyed that 2 of my 54 nucs are empty( because i hived their colonies late September)

 

[Angularity]

When you say that the plus side of splitting early is that they can exploit early season forage, you don't mean to get a honey crop do you? I think it might be better to keep your colonies strong for the flow (OSR in Apr/May where you are?) and then split them afterwards.

Alternatively you could keep strong hives intact for the flow and split smaller (but still healthy) colonies & re-queen, because those smaller ones won't make a crop anyway.

That was exactly my plan, thinking that two queens would produce more bees than one. OSR flowering here is usually April-May, as you say.

I like the idea of making up a nuc with the queens and sorting things out later. Thanks.

 

[For want of a better word]

What it doesnt do is address the fact that the new season queens will be less inclined to swarn( all other things being equal )
Nor is there any advantage to those overwintered kielers than there would have been in overwintered nucs, a disadvantage really as you'd have needed to store your empty nuc all winter. I'd consider that wasted kit. Im still a bit annoyed that 2 of my 54 nucs are empty( because i hived their colonies late September)

Had to overwinter in the Keilers... as my 60+ Paynes Polly nucs are FULL of nice dark native bees!!!!

Yeghes da

 

[mbc]

That was exactly my plan, thinking that two queens would produce more bees than one. OSR flowering here is usually April-May, as you say.

I like the idea of making up a nuc with the queens and sorting things out later. Thanks.

The limiting factor early on is enough bees to raise the brood so with an injudicious split you could end up with two queens in stretched colonies producing far fewer bees than one good one in a nicely balanced colony.

 

[SDM]

Had to overwinter in the Keilers... as my 60+ Paynes Polly nucs are FULL of nice dark native bees!!!!

Yeghes da

I thought all your queens were ruined this year ?

 

[For want of a better word]

I thought all your queens were ruined this year ?

No that was the yellow stripey jobs.... but have spoken to a very nice man who is going to sell me some more for next season..... as they do well on the English side of the Greatgreygreenandpurplegreasytamarriverallsetaboutwithemptyunafordablesecondhomes!!!!!