Good idea or not?

[funfly]

Good idea or not?

I have one colony of bees, got them as a nuc at the end of June last year. They seem to come come through the winter rather well, loads of activity, heaps of pollen going in. I gave them a very quick first look of the year on Sunday, checked to see what was left of the 12kg of fondant I gave them in Nov, they had used about half of it.

I didn't lift any frames out, still a bit chilly up here, but the brood box was packed with bees.
I gave them a some syrup and left the fondant in place.

I am keen to made a second colony and was thinking of placing a second brood box on top of the existing one and feed on top of that, hoping that the workers will draw out the comb and hopefully the queen will lay in both, thus more of a start when I do split.

Would that be a good move?

 

[Poly Hive]

When the weather is warmer yes and when you know you have 8 frames of brood please. Not before.

It's too damn early yet and you are seeing frames of bees in mid day, what is it like at 1am? Looking a lot less impressive I am sure.

Patience please......

PH

 

[mbc]

If there are plenty of bees your plan will work fine however PH's advice is also valid, maybe hang fire for a week or so untill you see loads of dandelions on the virges

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Surely you don't need syrup AND fondant?!

 

[Heather]

When you do split - with queen in one half- Hope you have day old larvae in the other for them to use as new queen material. If she has gone up to new area, the brood below will be maturing too far to be a queen larvae- just a thought

 

[funfly]

Thanks for the replies..
Just left a little fondant, once I see they are taking the syrup I will remove it.
If they can draw some of the comb out at least that would be a bit of progress.

Some good weather coming so think I am going to go for it

 

[sherwood]

Funfly and MBC how about ammending your location in your profile so we can see where you are located so when you say the weather up here is still cold we know where abouts you are talking about

 

[mbc]

Have done sherwood but I try and qualify posts with things which disregard locality eg. loads of dandelions out. HOPEFULLY THIS GIVES ACLUE AS TO THE SEASONS PROGRESSION WHEREVER you are

 

[Midland Beek]

I am keen to made a second colony and was thinking of placing a second brood box on top of the existing one and feed on top of that, hoping that the workers will draw out the comb and hopefully the queen will lay in both, thus more of a start when I do split.

I would do a split when they have queen cells and fill up the resulting boxes with foundation.

 

[MJBee]

Funfly,
Please heed PH's advice and be patient. I gave my strongest colony a commercial brood box of foundation to draw on 4 April last year (a much better spring than the one we are suffering now) the bees started to draw it in JUNE. From being the strongest colony it finished up the weakest - they could not cope with heating all that extra space and keep brood warm at the same time so the colony contracted rather than grew.
Patience, patience, patience

 

[funfly]

Mmm, good point. Think I might hold off then.

 

[funfly]

Decided just to go for it and added a second brood box, did so on 7/3/10 and gave them 3 pints of syrup at the same time.
Gave them a quick look today 12/3/10 they had finished the syrup which I replaced, had drawn out more than half of the new comb and there was eggs in at least 2 of the new combs.
Spotted the queen and marked her.

The weather forecast was good for the week which influenced my decision.

 

[Poly Hive]

Brave move for Perthshire at this time. Let's hope it continues warm and you have some insulation over that crown board.

PH

 

[Rosti]

Funfly, not sure I picked up this comment else where in the thread.

I would remove the fondant and stick with a light spring syrup, the girls need the water as well and the syrup is more likely to stimulate colony expansion than the fondant. R

 

[funfly]

Cheers, done that on Wednesday the 7th.