Should I split a new Nuc to have two strong Hives this winter?

[Mothman]

Hello, I am new to beekeeping and am about to receive my first bees as a strong 5 frame nuc with a last years queen from a friend in the next couple of weeks.

Thinking ahead, virtually everything I read / hear says that I should try to have two strong hives to overwinter. So.....

I have at least two large fields of OSR 500m-1000m from where my hives are sited so, in theory I should have a good nectar flow mid to late April which, hopefully, will be supplemented by the large bluebell wood again 500m-1500m away. Thus I should have a really good nectar flow for 4-6 weeks. These strong flows of nectar should allow my new hive to get well established(?)

My question is - would it be prudent, at some point during or soon after this nectar flow, assuming of course the original hive was performing well, to perform an artificial swarm moving the queen, a frame of brood and the flying bees to another new hive. Allowing the original hive to re queen itself and have plenty of time to build itself up for the winter.

Or should I just perform an artificial swarm when the bees decide to start building queen cells, taking the risk that this might happen late summer?

 

[drstitson]

two seasons back a newbie at our association bought a nuc from reliable local source first weekend of april. three weeks later had filled brood box and making swarm prep. he took a nuc off at this point. main hive ended up on double brood with an 85lb harvest and the nuc gave 15lb.

 

[Finman]

Or should I just perform an artificial swarm when the bees decide to start building queen cells, taking the risk that this might happen late summer?

That is best you may do. Let the hive grow. YOu have later afford to nucs.

 

[enrico]

You are going to have your hands full with OSR and it being your first hive. Stick with one, learn all you can, relax a little and enjoy your first year ..... Please don't over complicate your first year, things will complicate themselves without your help!! You may need to AS anyway so suck it and see!
Best of luck
E

 

[rae]

If you have a good nuc coming in now, then it will be in pretty much the same state as an overwintered hive. In all likelihood it will need an artificial swarm in May (depending on bee type, weather) and you'll get your 2 or 3 hives....

 

[Poly Hive]

Welcome to the fascinating world of bees.

1. They do not read books, we do that.

2. You have a plan, but so do they.

3. They will always go in the direction they want to, all we can to is to guide and assist.

Enjoy.

PH

 

[Skyhook]

Welcome to the fascinating world of bees.

1. They do not read books, we do that.

2. You have a plan, but so do they.

3. They will always go in the direction they want to, all we can to is to guide and assist.

Enjoy.

PH

I piece of advice I've been given is- push the bees in the direction they want to go. In other words, be prepared for a variety of scenarios, then base your actions on their status as you find them, not according to the plan you made last winter.

 

[Black Comb]

Just wait and see how they go.
If they are very strong and there is still plenty of time for the split to raise a new queen and get mated and then build up some for winter then do it. If not, don't.

 

[itma]

No harm in in having enough spare kit to assemble another hive at short notice. (You'll need it eventually, as you've heard two hives is much more sustainable.)
Or to have the spare as a bait hive for the time being, in the hope of luring in someone else's lost swarm.

 

[Baggyone]

I'd look at having enough kit to do 2 extra hives just in case.

Enjoy beekeeping, if you take to it you'll never be the same again.

baggy