splitting a hive

[victor meldrew]

Does anyone have a preferance when splitting a hive as to where the queen is IE @ the site of the original hive with half the frames ,or @ the new site with the remainder of the frames ? and why?.

John Wilkinson

 

[Mission]

Hi John,

I split a hive and took the old queen out when I saw some quite advanced queen cells in the hive.

The reason I took the queen is that they were looking like they were going to swarm anyway, and she would be attempting to leave. So it was better that I helped the colony satisfy the swarming desire. The queen and the rest of the hive "assumed" they had swarmed. The bees and the old queen settled straight down and are almost out to 6 frames now.

In the old hive I removed all but one of the cells. Again to stop them throwing casts. I checked yesterday and found and huge new queen running round in the hive.

Had I removed the frames with cells, there was no guarentee that the colony with the old queen would not have stopped trying to swarm.

I am sure others will offer other opinions, but this method works for me.

 

[victor meldrew]

A nice quick response.
I worded question in an incomplete manner.
I was referring to splitting a hive equally prior eventually introducing a new Queen into each half. Which ever way it's done , one half will collect the flying bees creating an inbalance between the splits.
The question was acamedic in this case as the colony isn't showing any signs of swarming yet .

John

 

[Finman]

A nice quick response.

I was referring to splitting a hive equally prior eventually introducing a new Queen into each half. Which ever way it's done , one half will collect the flying bees creating an inbalance between the splits.
John

Yes, if you hate to sell honey, that is the best way to handle hives in foraging season.

After main yield that is good way to make more hives.

 

[Poly Hive]

I would take the queen and all the open brood plus most of the sealed brood to the new site. I would leave the old site with a cell from a good colony plus the supers.

In effect an AS but down at my timing not theirs.

PH

 

[Finman]

Does anyone have a preferance when splitting a hive as to where the queen is IE @ the site of the original hive with half the frames ,or @ the new site with the remainder of the frames ? and why?.

John Wilkinson

What and why and when you are doing this? What is the size of original hive?

 

[victor meldrew]

Point taken Finman,
however , 2 ready mated/laying queens (prolific by nature ).
Main honey flow in my area starts last week in june first week July .
Yes Pete this is what I've done in the past .
Seen it done in June by a Heather man and then re-united before transportation .
I'm not a heather man .
John

 

[Finman]

Point taken Finman,
however , 2 ready mated/laying queens (prolific by nature ).
Main honey flow in my area starts last week in june first week July .

Makes sence. When you split the hive, boath queens will lay normal foraging hives for main yield. Time is 7 weeks to build up.

If you make a flying swarm, the old hive has pollen and food stores and nurser bees.

In the "swarm" hive there will be a lack of bees after 2 weeks when they do not get yeat emerging bees and half of old bees will be dead. But you may take a emerging brood frame from some another hive and aid your suome bees to rise up.

So, you see what will happen. For that main yield you may arrange "bee powers" later.