Splitting a Hive (from the Wally Shaw book - There are Queen Cells in my Hive)

[Beedogg]

In Appendix 1 he proposes a course of actoin as follows: 'If the cells are sealed or near sealing and a swarm could be imminent then the safest option is to split the colony. The queen should be left where she is and the queen cells along with several frames of brood (3-4) and sufficient bees to look after them should be put in a nuc box or on a split board at the top of the hive. The queen cells in the split will mature and in due course a virgin queen will emerge and because all the flying bees have returned to their original site (where the queen is) no swarming will occur. If left in this condition the new queen will mate and start to lay.'

I'm probably being dim here, but do I deduce from this that the bees that were split from the main hive with 3-4 frames of brood will migrate back to the main hive? If so when will they do that? And if it's soon then what was the point of taking them away in the first place? Also, if a Queen from one of the QCs in the split hive emerges into a bee-less nuc isn't that a problem? Or maybe it isn't?

Grateful for some explanation, please.

 

[Murox]

Its only the foragers or 'flying' bees that return to the old hive where the queen is. (If you take a brood frame out and give it a light shake lots of bees start flying, but some hang on and remain on the frame, those that remain are mostly nurse bees which is what you want in a nuc, But don't shake any frame with a queen cell on it) - in that appendix section of course you don't do any shaking at all since the foragers will all end up going back to the original hive (because they have not yet reoriented to the new position of the nuc) the next time they go out for pollen/nectar/water- leaving nurse bees which what you want in the nuc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

In Appendix 1 he proposes a course of actoin as follows: 'If the cells are sealed or near sealing and a swarm could be imminent then the safest option is to split the colony. The queen should be left where she is and the queen cells along with several frames of brood (3-4) and sufficient bees to look after them should be put in a nuc box or on a split board at the top of the hive. The queen cells in the split will mature and in due course a virgin queen will emerge and because all the flying bees have returned to their original site (where the queen is) no swarming will occur. If left in this condition the new queen will mate and start to lay.'

I'm probably being dim here, but do I deduce from this that the bees that were split from the main hive with 3-4 frames of brood will migrate back to the main hive? If so when will they do that? And if it's soon then what was the point of taking them away in the first place? Also, if a Queen from one of the QCs in the split hive emerges into a bee-less nuc isn't that a problem? Or maybe it isn't?

Grateful for some explanation, please.

The idea is to split the queen from the brood or the foraging bees. I don’t like to leave ANY brood with the queen if she is still with the foragers who are the ones initiating swarming. Swarms can and do leave with uncapped cells. Doing it that way always makes me nervous. I would rather nuc the queen with a couple of frames of emerging brood and move the nuc away but in the same apiary.

 

[Beedogg]

Ah, I see. He's distinguishing between flying bees (foraging bees) and non-flying bees (house bees). Makes sense. Thanks.