Stock increase.

[Cellectronic]

I have a colony I want to split to increase my stock as I have only the one colony.
If I remove the queen/BIAS/stores etc and put them in a nuc , will the Q- hive develop emergency QCs ?
I did an inspection a couple of days ago and there are no signs of Q,cells and I assume I cant perform an AS without their being queen cells.
I hope to have 7 colonies by the end of this year and splitting my hive would seem a good place to start.

 

[VEG]

You could make a nuc up and buy in a mated queen.
Some say emergency queens are not as good as normally produced queen cells, but they do work.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the better method would be to leave the hive build up strongly and then perform a demarree - this would (hopefully) give you enough QC's to make 2 or 3 nucs and still have the parent colony.

 

[richardbees]

Cell, Yes you could make up a nuc and yes you could AS.....but I strongly suggest you do nothing for the next few weeks until the weather warms up. A third alternative would be to buy in a mated Q and make up a small nuc.

 

[Cellectronic]

Yes, I thought about buying a mated queen , But they are like hens teeth at the moment !!
I am just so keen to get my stock increased . I started beekeeping last year and am now well and truly hooked on it.Thing just seem so slow at the present.

 

[Polyanwood]

I agree with Richard. It is cold. The nucs will do much better when it is a bit warmer at night. What about putting up some bait hives?

 

[richardbees]

Cell

I think KSB (anag) has some.....

 

[Cellectronic]

Hi, I have put 2 bait hives near a huge colony in the base of an oak tree.
One bait hive is at ground level the other is 2 meters up in a tree and both within 50 meters
of the colony, Just keeping my fingers crossed now.

 

[susbees]

I have a colony I want to split to increase my stock as I have only the one colony.

Hi...hope you manage to get to the apiary visits this "summer" (next one in a couple of weeks). Great place to talk about plans and learn. Two of the Bridgnorth members at the last one. Or were you there too ?!

In the meantime what is in your hive? How many frames of brood? Good laying pattern? No signs of disease? Temperament good? Any sealed drone brood? The night temperatures atm are colder than for much of the winter...patience will reduce disasters it is hoped

 

[richardbees]

HSS hire out chainsaws, can't you try a bit of tree surgery?

edit reminder re wearing steel capped footwear / safety glasses

 

[Cellectronic]

Its a beautiful oak, l will just have to be patient !!
But I did think about it for about 0.05 seconds.

 

[Cellectronic]

Sus. I missed the last meeting ! I was watching the website for the meeting info then it came and went , and I missed it.
In the hive is about 5/6 frames of BIAS some drone , They wont use the outer 2 frames , not sure why, its a nice comb structure but empty. stores are on the outer frames next to the brood. They look healthy and the pattern is OK but could be better and they are very well tempered on a nice day, they dont like windy days though.

 

[VEG]

HSS hire out chainsaws, can't you try a bit of tree surgery?

edit reminder re wearing steel capped footwear / safety glasses

Easy to get seriously injured with a chainsaw even when you know what you are doing, believe me.
Try a bit of tree surgery

 

[richardbees]

Craig - I wasn't serious.

No true Englishman would harm an oak tree - we may need them again one day to re-build the Fleet....

Heart of oak are our ships, jolly tars are our men,
We always are ready; steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again

 

[VEG]

No offence meant just too many people hiring out chainsaws and getting hurt.
I use them every day, have seen a few bad accidents.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I use them every day, have seen a few bad accidents.

That's why I don't sharpen the chain on my Husky

 

[galileo]

It's doable, Cell, and good luck with the swarms.

Last year at the end of May I had 2 colonies, but by the end of August I had 8 & had to combine down to 6 for wintering. 5 left and going well enough for me to be donating one to a new keeper at the weekend. He just happens to be a farmer friend. Coincidence?

 

[Finman]

.
Better choice is however that you let this hive to build grown up. Let it work normally and you see how it works over summer.
That is the basic of beekeeping that you know the year cycle of beehive and you may antipicate what isgoing thee now.

You must learn how to nurse an adult hive up to autumn feeding.

How to stop build and and how to split ad splat the small hive, you surely get advices more than enough.

to take care at once 7 hives or plits without knowledge may have unhappy end.

We can think that you get all those 7 hives over winter and then you chould handle 7 growing hives and then grown up hives.
New frames, boxes, swarm prevention, selling great honey yields.....
That stuff needs quite much storerooms.

.

 

[meetballuk]

get your self on swarm list?
or try blocking entrance to oak with a bodged box with drawn frames may work.
no skin off your nose?

 

[user 6228]

.
Better choice is however that you let this hive to build grown up. Let it work normally and you see how it works over summer.
That is the basic of beekeeping that you know the year cycle of beehive and you may antipicate what isgoing thee now.

You must learn how to nurse an adult hive up to autumn feeding.

How to stop build and and how to split ad splat the small hive, you surely get advices more than enough.

to take care at once 7 hives or plits without knowledge may have unhappy end.

We can think that you get all those 7 hives over winter and then you chould handle 7 growing hives and then grown up hives.
New frames, boxes, swarm prevention, selling great honey yields.....
That stuff needs quite much storerooms.

.

As he says observe, then act
Armed with your observations you can then make up your own decisions.
Believe me dealing with your first full hive and first swarming season is best done one at a time...Even with the most docile bees!