First attempt at a split. Advice sought.

[Beagle23]

I've been lucky with swarms over the last three years, each time I've caught them as they've left and donated to other beeks. But this year I'm a bit concerned that the hive remains packed with bees and I want to avoid a caste swarm.

So here's what I did - I don't know if it will work or if I've blundered.

I carried out a full inspection today. I found the virgin queen and no sign of any egg laying, making me think she either isn't mated or went out today. I also found a dozen queen cups ready to emerge. I destroyed all but two of these.

I then lifted two frames of brood also containing the QCs and a frame of stores and transferred to a nuc together with two undrawn frames.

In my slightly unconvinced mind what I've done is take a chance on the new queen mating successfully, with the two QCs in the nuc acting as insurance and as a possible beginning of a second colony.

Thoughts....?

 

[enrico]

What you have done should work ok.
Personally I would try not to go into a hive with a virgin queen until I thought she might be laying but.....
E

 

[Millet]

I've been lucky with swarms over the last three years, each time I've caught them as they've left and donated to other beeks. But this year I'm a bit concerned that the hive remains packed with bees and I want to avoid a caste swarm.

So here's what I did - I don't know if it will work or if I've blundered.

I carried out a full inspection today. I found the virgin queen and no sign of any egg laying, making me think she either isn't mated or went out today. I also found a dozen queen cups ready to emerge. I destroyed all but two of these.

I then lifted two frames of brood also containing the QCs and a frame of stores and transferred to a nuc together with two undrawn frames.

In my slightly unconvinced mind what I've done is take a chance on the new queen mating successfully, with the two QCs in the nuc acting as insurance and as a possible beginning of a second colony.

Thoughts....?

It sounds good to me and i have done very similar today, however the Hive i split has a mated Queen in it, the split's (Nucs) got a extra frame of brood and food as they was plenty to spare from the double brood box, the two Queen cells are for insurance similar to you but regardless of whether they emerge or get mated they will be replaced with other mated Queens, hopefully by me doing it this way i will keep hold of the flying bees.

 

[Beagle23]

Thank you both. It felt a bit back-to-front when compared with the advice given in the guide books, but it felt instinctively right. We shall see