So many splits I don't know what to do

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Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
473
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Location
Northants
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2
Hive 1 (Buckfast queen)
Took a split last week and placed in a nuc. Capped QC's so looking good.
Main hive is bursting with two bb and one brood in super. Bottom brood box has some honey so rearranged frames with brood and moved out honey and replaced with foundation. Moved empty bb above full bb and full super with brood.
Took 12 frames of capped honey.
Disappointed to see charged queen cells :-(

Hive 2 (Carni)
Problem with constant building QC's so have now split 3 times. Capped QC and very skinny queen so A/S her.

So I have now got 5 colonies and the main hive 1 looking like they may go as a capped cell but run out of hives and really don't want to do another A/S.
Any options?

I must say, working on little hives was easy compared to the main hive just now. And I really didn't know how heavy full honey supers would be :eek:
 
just taking off the odd split will not curb swarming instinct no matter how many times you repeat the process.

the bees NEED to experience a formal AS.
 
Yes I know. My problem Carni colony was talked about on another thread and after lots of discussions regarding her settling in, I was hopefull they would give up trying to supersede her once her own bees were in the hive. That didn't really happen!! Did what people suggested so did an AS and will see what happens now. If they supersede her then I will let them do it this time.
Anyway, that hive aside! I wasn't expecting my Buckfast one to go like mad. Have always been told that it's unlikely a new colony from a nuc will swarm in its first yr... well looks like they might.
My problem seems space or lack of it. With all the foundation on two bb and a super, they want to fill any spare space with honey as well as in the honey supers above. Every bit of drawn comb given to them gets a few eggs in the middle and surrounded with honey. Not sure if its me or them :cuss:
 
Agree with finman join them or sell them
 
Was about to sort them out and the rain started so they will have to wait til tomorrow afternoon after I have finished work... hopefully they wont swarm in the morning.
I was just about to ask about joining the two smaller splits that both have capped QC's. Not looked into joining properly, only skimmed through it as didn't think I'd need to do it yet. Do I use the news paper between? Any tips? as I have two sets of QS's and BIAS. Do I destroy QC's from one and merge brood and bees. i.e one lot of brood/bees above the others with paper between?
One thing, these bees certainly keep me busy. God knows how people manage when they don't have them at home and can keep an eye whats going on. The situation changes so quickly!
 
One of the problems with bees that build up so rapidly... boom.. then a change in weather... and bust.

AS then cull some queens and merge!
 
Yes I know. My problem Carni colony was talked about on another thread and after lots of discussions regarding her settling in, I was hopefull they would give up trying to supersede her once her own bees were in the hive. That didn't really happen!! Did what people suggested so did an AS and will see what happens now. If they supersede her then I will let them do it this time.
Anyway, that hive aside! I wasn't expecting my Buckfast one to go like mad. Have always been told that it's unlikely a new colony from a nuc will swarm in its first yr... well looks like they might.
My problem seems space or lack of it. With all the foundation on two bb and a super, they want to fill any spare space with honey as well as in the honey supers above. Every bit of drawn comb given to them gets a few eggs in the middle and surrounded with honey. Not sure if its me or them :cuss:

if they are in swarm mode making QC then extra foundation in a brood box is not space, you need drawn comb to even delay their instinct, but split may delay their swarm mode but noot stop it

However foundation on the queen right hive of a pagden AS when they think they have swarmed is another matter
 
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if they are in swarm mode making QC then extra foundation in a brood box is not space, you need drawn comb to even delay their instinct, but split may delay their swarm mode but noot stop it

However foundation on the queen right hive of a pagden AS when they think they have swarmed is another matter

Hmmm I agree but when you haven't got drawn comb on supply then foundation is what it has to be. They have drawn loads of foundation and decided to fill it with honey even though they are filling supers as well

To think I'd have one hive this year and extend to two next ... hahaha that was a laugh
 
Hive 1 (Buckfast queen)
Took a split last week and placed in a nuc. Capped QC's so looking good.
Main hive is bursting with two bb and one brood in super. Bottom brood box has some honey so rearranged frames with brood and moved out honey and replaced with foundation. Moved empty bb above full bb and full super with brood.
Took 12 frames of capped honey.
Disappointed to see charged queen cells :-(
:

Do an AS- Splits do not polish swarming fever.


:
:
Hive 2 (Carni)
Problem with constant building QC's so have now split 3 times. Capped QC and very skinny queen so A/S her.:

change the queen

:
So I have now got 5 colonies and the main hive 1 looking like they may go as a capped cell but run out of hives and really don't want to do another A/S.
Any options? :

If you do not want to do AS, let them swarm

:
I must say, working on little hives was easy compared to the main hive just now. And I really didn't know how heavy full honey supers would be :eek:

You will not get honey with that style.

You MUST get new queens, which do not play that kind of game = change the genepool in the yard

The madness continues if you take daughters from those hives.

.

.
 
[quote

You MUST get new queens, which do not play that kind of game = change the genepool in the yard

The madness continues if you take daughters from those hives.

.

.[/quote]

Both queens where from different but good sources so where would I get less swamy queens? I have to say that they are so gentle and always have been. I wouldn't want to change that.
I do realise I have a very long way to go and so much more learning to do, but I am enjoying every bit of it.
 
Finman, do you not think its about space for the queen to lay? I feel I must be doing something wrong here but not sure how to go differently? I have given extra brood boxes, frames etc. I know not drawn comb as previously mentioned as I haven't any. They have been drawning comb but fill it with honey. Why are they doing this?
 
.
Have you any laying queens`? Are they gone?
YOu have only virgins?

Extra brood boxes? How many frames you have covered with bees there?

You do have nearby an experienced beekeepers who may look your setup?
 
.
Have you any laying queens`? Are they gone?
YOu have only virgins?

Extra brood boxes? How many frames you have covered with bees there?

You do have nearby an experienced beekeepers who may look your setup?

I have a friend and he said it is happening a lot this year with people doing many splits and AS.
I have two laying queens, one Buckfast and one Carni. Cani queen has been AS a few days ago. Buckfast has been fine at last inspection and now has a capped queen cell today. I will do an AS tomorrow if it doesn't rain as it rained today when I was about to start
 
I have a friend and he said it is happening a lot this year with people doing many splits and AS.
I have two laying queens, one Buckfast and one Carni. Cani queen has been AS a few days ago. Buckfast has been fine at last inspection and now has a capped queen cell today. I will do an AS tomorrow if it doesn't rain as it rained today when I was about to start

I would worry less about rain than thundery weather. That kind of atmospheric pressure makes them super arsey. Fair enough, I'm pretty much the same...
 
Why don't you sell them? I had the same problem last year(it must be the Northamptonshire air). I sold three this year as i did not want to go into summer with eight hives when i started with three the previous year! i sold them for 125.00 each on five frames of brood. The people who wanted the bees brought their own brood box or we did a swap.
 
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