hive splits

[yeogi75]

how many splits can you make each year ?
when do you take them
do they have to have a break the following year?

 

[oliver90owner]

What a funny question!

Would it not depend on a lot of variables?

 

[yeogi75]

of course rab
but i have family who wants some bees so want to split my hive for one member and plan for the outher later or spring next year
also expands my bees if need to unit or use frame as test frame

 

[drstitson]

instead of AS just do a walkaway 3 way split.

 

[yeogi75]

will tere be enough bees as my hive was a nuc in june
i thought you done a three way spilt with two brood boxes ?

 

[Hivemaker.]

This link may be useful if your considering making increase.

http://www.apimondia.com/apiacta/slovenia/en/yeganehrad.pdf

 

[oliver90owner]

Last hive split I did was eight ways, I think (could have been nine or ten, including the donor colony). Late May was the timing. Had to borrow a couple or three frames of stores from elsewhere, as I recall.

It was not this year, I might add. All went on with no further input from me until needing re-homing when laying worker brood and needing to expand beyond my nucs.

 

[Chris B]

You can set up an Apidea with a cupful of bees. Anything's possible if you're prepared to nurture a small colony by feeding, insulating etc. until it can look after itself.

What's sensible though? Bees enough to cover 3 frames I would say as a minimum. 4 or 5 frames is better, especially later in the season. So it all depends on how big your donor colony is. If you feed it from early March and give it double brood, you should easily be able to split it 3 or 4 ways in April/May. The question is how will you provide queens for these splits?

 

[dpearce4]

Wow HM that is a real interesting artical. really imformative. would work with much smaller numbers the only issue for me is i dont work with double brood, but may well look at it.

Are there recipes for the caspian solution used? where they say comb new or used do they mean foundation or actual comb?

 

[yeogi75]

so i put a brood under colony late febuary,build and feed until may - june and then make splits say four splits and feed throu till winter and am left with four small nucs to go throu winter

 

[Chris B]

Yes but they won't be nucs by the autumn. You may well need a super on each before the end of the summer. In any normal year a 5 frame nuc in May will need a super before summer is out.

 

[SixFooter]

I was planning to do some Q rearing this year, but in the event, was too busy trying to keep the colonies I had alive to devote much time to it. Next year though...

 

[yeogi75]

Yes but they won't be nucs by the autumn. You may well need a super on each before the end of the summer. In any normal year a 5 frame nuc in May will need a super before summer is out.

saying that chris i got my nuc in june and has only filled the brood box and still has the last two outer foundation to fill which means ive got to be on my toes after xmas if they start they wont have any where left it was three frame nuc

 

[mbc]

saying that chris i got my nuc in june and has only filled the brood box and still has the last two outer foundation to fill which means ive got to be on my toes after xmas if they start they wont have any where left it was three frame nuc

In a normal season be prepared for colonies to expand massively from mid spring to mid summer, it sounds to me that your nuc this year might never really have got up to speed and its possibly given you a false impression of whats normal for colony expansion. A thriving five frame nuc can look indistinguishable to a decent overwintered colony within two brood cycles in a good spring and its often the new splits that are the most prosperous colonies the following spring.

 

[yeogi75]

i have a spare brood box and frames made up ready for the foundation to go in after xmas, going to put brood box under as soon as ball has broke up in spring, then feed then split around june ish hoping to get some queens in to build up before next winter unless there is a better way ?
unless they build up enough to make four nucs three frames bias and honey and pollen enough for four

 

[Chris B]

In a normal season be prepared for colonies to expand massively from mid spring to mid summer, it sounds to me that your nuc this year might never really have got up to speed and its possibly given you a false impression of whats normal for colony expansion. A thriving five frame nuc can look indistinguishable to a decent overwintered colony within two brood cycles in a good spring and its often the new splits that are the most prosperous colonies the following spring.

 

[Chris B]

i have a spare brood box and frames made up ready for the foundation to go in after xmas, going to put brood box under as soon as ball has broke up in spring, then feed then split around june ish hoping to get some queens in to build up before next winter unless there is a better way ?
unless they build up enough to make four nucs three frames bias and honey and pollen enough for four

Just be prepared to have to split them earlier than that, or else put supers on too.

Queens is the tricky bit. Buying is good but you just need to be flexible as they might not be available exactly when you want them.

Rearing your own is also good, but adds a few extra weeks waiting for mating.

Every option has it's own risks!

 

[BeeJayBee]

Are there recipes for the caspian solution used?

Here you go!

http://www.caspianapiaries.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=108&Itemid=113

 

[blackcavebees]

Wow HM that is a real interesting artical. really imformative. would work with much smaller numbers the only issue for me is i dont work with double brood, but may well look at it.

Are there recipes for the caspian solution used? where they say comb new or used do they mean foundation or actual comb?

That's the questions I had too. Anyone?

 

[Finman]

.
You are one hive owner and a beginner. Try to learn first to nurse a hive.

With splitting you only spoil your hive.

.look later what are your ideas.

When you have 5 boxes full of bees, then you may do one slpit. If you make more, you loose the honey yield.