How many splits can you make from just 2 colonies in one season?

[Newbeeneil]

Hi,

I am actually planning on becoming a beefarmer in the future. At the moment only part-time as I still have another job.
Do you think I am on the right track of splitting my colonies into as many nucs as possible to sell.
I am hoping I can sell some overwintered nucs in spring 2025 to cover costs of equipment.
I will be more then happy if I get 20 splits from each hive at the end of the year, but would like more, although if I don't get, it doesn't matter too much.

Thanks for answering my questions.

Another possible problem to fast buildup of the nucs is the availability of drawn comb. For the nucs to build quickly you want the queens laying asap not waiting for a small group of workers to build out foundation.
As the old joke goes. “If I was trying to get there I wouldn’t start from here”

 

[Matty Brown]

Another possible problem to fast buildup of the nucs is the availability of drawn comb. For the nucs to build quickly you want the queens laying asap not waiting for a small group of workers to build out foundation.
As the old joke goes. “If I was trying to get there I wouldn’t start from here”

I have a bit of drawn comb but mostly foundation.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have a bit of drawn comb but mostly foundation.

You would probably need 2-3 drawn comb for each nuc you produced if you want a swift build up. I get comb drawn in brood boxes used as supers on a flow in the previous year.

 

[ericbeaumont]

keeping about 10 full colonies + a few nucs for about 5years

on the right track of splitting my colonies?

Depends how many of the 10 come through winter and build strongly, and by that I mean on 3 or 4 or more broods by late spring/early summer to give you the comb and bees you will need. Depends how many of those 10 are of genetic stock which produce easy-going bees that perfom well without minor disease, and thus suitable for sale.

Depends on the weather, not only to build strong colonies in spring but also later, during the mating window. Depends if you compensate for poor early weather and persevere into late summer, because if wasps have a good year they will predate weak nucs to death.

Depends if you have the kit and space and time to house the successes and balance, feed and treat them during late summer, and depends how many survive winter for sale in spring 2025.

 

[Mint Bee]

work, weather and family commitments are the three things that usually conspire to bugger up queen rearing and colony increases in my experience. Oh, and the bees. Don't get disheartened if things don't go to plan. Plenty of people do walk away splits, and whilst RP doesn't recommend this in the UK, its a half way house I use when other activities get in the way to make at least some additional nucs. The other option no one has mentioned is putting plenty of bait boxes out. Need checking for disease and potentially a better quality queen, but free bees is free bees, even if it only capturing one of your own swarms

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/walkawaysplit.html

 

[fian]

From the beginning of April you can remove 1 or 2 frames of brood per week (depending on the strength of the hive and field conditions).
Day 0. Remove 2 frames of brood (open and closed) and one of honey from a nucleus.
Day 10
to. Check the hive and again remove 2 frames of brood and one of honey.
b. Check the first nucleus and cut out one of the real cells they have made. Attach it to the core you made before.
Repeat the process depending on the conditions.
This method also allows you to check the hive and reduces the force, which helps you avoid swarming.

 

[pargyle]

Hi,

I am actually planning on becoming a beefarmer in the future. At the moment only part-time as I still have another job.
Do you think I am on the right track of splitting my colonies into as many nucs as possible to sell.
I am hoping I can sell some overwintered nucs in spring 2025 to cover costs of equipment.
I will be more then happy if I get 20 splits from each hive at the end of the year, but would like more, although if I don't get, it doesn't matter too much.

Thanks for answering my questions.

By the time you have split and built up to nucs worthy of being sold you may be getting a bit late in the season unless you are going to buy in Queens imported early in the spring and you will need to get your order in for them PDQ .. and you will have to pay for them. If you are planning on raising your own queens .. you need to do your numbers about how long it will take to get queens mated ... and then build up your nucs - which if you make that many splits are going to be small. Bees need bees to make bees... I think you are being optimistic in so many ways ...or are you thinking of making nucs next year to overwinter and sell spring 2925 ?

 

[Matty Brown]

By the time you have split and built up to nucs worthy of being sold you may be getting a bit late in the season unless you are going to buy in Queens imported early in the spring and you will need to get your order in for them PDQ .. and you will have to pay for them. If you are planning on raising your own queens .. you need to do your numbers about how long it will take to get queens mated ... and then build up your nucs - which if you make that many splits are going to be small. Bees need bees to make bees... I think you are being optimistic in so many ways ...or are you thinking of making nucs next year to overwinter and sell spring 2925 ?

I am thinking of making up nucs to overwinter and sell in 2025.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

A nail gun speeds up frame assembly by about a factor of 3-4

This is my method. I use 14mm staples and 25mm nails from two nail guns. A bit like having two power drivers, one for drilling, one for screwing.

 

[John stockburn]

Hi,

Next year I am planning on splitting 2 of my beehives into as many nucs as possible. All my hives are on a double brood right now. What would the best method of splitting these hives be?
I heard that you get better results if you add a mated queen instead of adding a queen cell or letting the nuc raise its own queen. So I will be raising my own queens getting them mated then adding them to nucs.
My plan is to split each hive into 10 nucs as early in the season as possible, and once they outgrow the nuc I will split each nuc again. I am wanting a minimum of about 20 nucs from each hive, that's 40 nucs in total, but if I can split more I will be more then happy.
Is there a better method of splitting a hive into nucs? And how many splits do you think I can make from each hive, so I know how many nuc boxes to build?
I am hoping for sale spl

Hi,

Next year I am planning on splitting 2 of my beehives into as many nucs as possible. All my hives are on a double brood right now. What would the best method of splitting these hives be?
I heard that you get better results if you add a mated queen instead of adding a queen cell or letting the nuc raise its own queen. So I will be raising my own queens getting them mated then adding them to nucs.
My plan is to split each hive into 10 nucs as early in the season as possible, and once they outgrow the nuc I will split each nuc again. I am wanting a minimum of about 20 nucs from each hive, that's 40 nucs in total, but if I can split more I will be more then happy.
Is there a better method of splitting a hive into nucs? And how many splits do you think I can make from each hive, so I know how many nuc boxes to build?
I am hoping for as many splits as possible.

Thanks

Matt

Splitting each hive into ten nucs is some mean feat (can I borrow your magic wand ) buying eighteen queens at forty quid a pop ,...... Irish weather! !!! ,...I do not wish to sound rude but have a big think , and do not be influenced by you tube videos where everything is easy in florida and california.
As for rearing queens best of luck, southern England can get three queens per mating hive per year, where you and I are at be greatfull if you get two queens per nuc per annum
love an opptomist though

 

[Michael Palmer]

Hi,

I am actually planning on becoming a beefarmer in the future. At the moment only part-time as I still have another job.
Do you think I am on the right track of splitting my colonies into as many nucs as possible to sell.

I don't like your plan. Too risky trying to buildup that fast. You risk losing the whole operation.
I was once working with an Amish group. They too wanted to make as many nucs as possible,
as fast as possible so they could maximize their income. I warned them not to. They nuked every blessed hive they managed.
Well, they lost everything.
Perhaps the Kung Fu Master said it best...
"Patience Grasshopper"

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi,

I am actually planning on becoming a beefarmer in the future. At the moment only part-time as I still have another job.
Do you think I am on the right track of splitting my colonies into as many nucs as possible to sell.
I am hoping I can sell some overwintered nucs in spring 2025 to cover costs of equipment.
I will be more then happy if I get

No I don’t think your on the right track in three/ four seasons I’ve expanded colony’s by 65% each season which to me is good with the uk weather , if I was abroad where the weather is more consistent then I would of reared more .
I’m probably two/three season a head of you with my beefarming career I have expanded slowly learning to graft and learned different manipulations along the way to speed up my inspections and the way I do things.

I think you need to increase your production stock before you think of making nucs to sell .
Have you thought of bleeding 1 nuc per 10 colony’s next year which won’t impact on your honey production?
Advice given from a fellow beekeeper.

 

[sipa]

10:1 is much more realistic, take that from someone who does it for a living.

 

[Matty Brown]

10:1 is much more realistic, take that from someone who does it for a living.

Hi,

I have split 1 hive into 12 colonies before in 1 season, if it is done early enough in the season they can be moved into a national brood box, sometimes if the weather is good you can even get them to draw out a second brood box or super. (This is only possible if you add a mated queen and use drawn comb, and feed them a awful lot. )

I am hoping to split 1 hive into 12 nucs early in the season, when they have outgrown there nuc box I am planning on splitting these nucs again hopefully ending up with 24 nucs in total. If weather allows the 24 nucs could be split again into 48 nucs late in the season and overwintered. (In warm climates these 48 nucs could be split again into 92nucs!!! But that's not possible in Ireland!!!)

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Lots of ifs, sometimes and hopefullys in there. my forecast would be if they survive the winter, you'd better ensure they're sold to beginners and hobbyists so many won't realise they've been sold a box of mediocrity.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Is 10:1 a good thing ? I’m looking at what matty says he’s done and could be done and wondering wxx

 

[ericbeaumont]

won't realise they've been sold a box of mediocrity

Yes, it does depend, Matt, on the quality of your starting stock and the quality of unknown drones within 3-4 miles.

 

[sipa]

24 or 48 nucs from one colony to overwinter sucessfully in Ireland is pie in the sky, but good luck with it.
Please post how you got on after next winter.

 

[mbc]

When thinking about splits I like to leave the original queen on six national frames of brood well covered in bees, they can then bounce back quick. Rob them to four or five frames and they often loose all momentum and it takes a couple of brood cycles(thats a goodly chunk of the season) to get back up to speed. A well managed colony can be harvested of a few frames several times whereas one thats been abused often fizzles out completely for one reason or another.

 

[Swarm]

It's almost as if they give up.