To split or not to split?

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aberreef

Field Bee
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
591
Reaction score
0
Location
Mid Glamorgan
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
5 hives + 3 nucs
I started my TBH earlier this year which has expanded nicely, no honey stores yet though. Then I bought a national hive which I set as a bait hive (no takers yet:()

I'd like to get the national going before the winter but am i too late to split the TBH?

I was thinking of either buying a mated queen and adding it to a few cups worth of bees (not easy to shake from a TB:ack2:) or possibly moving the original queen to the national somehow:confused:

Otherwise theres the option of buying another nuc but can't really afford to spend another £150 atm.

I know it's getting late in the year to be thinking of all this so should i put these plans on hold until next spring?

I look forward to your replies

Huw
 
Unless the TBH is brimming with bees and has at least 12 brood frames you may struggle. If the TBH has no stores yet then it is too weak to split.
I would do as you say:
I know it's getting late in the year to be thinking of all this so should i put these plans on hold until next spring?

Huw said:
was thinking of either buying a mated queen and adding it to a few cups worth of bees (not easy to shake from a TB) or possibly moving the original queen to the national somehow
I would also read up on methods of increasing stock: The cup full of bees is used in mini-nucs and then only to get the queen mated.
 
Thanks for the reply.

I thought that might be the case. I won't touch the tbh until next spring then.

I've read quite a bit about increasing stocks but unfortunately can't find much in relation to transfering from a tbh to a more typical style eg national.

Once i get the 2 up and running the performing AS to like hives/nucs will be much less complicated.

Ideally I'd like to get the national up and running by early next spring. My sister in law is currently buying a property with a 2 acre orchard so i'd like to move the hive there for pollination (in return for plenty of cider of course:cheers2:)
 
I would recommend using the National as a bait hive this year and cross your fingers for a swarm.

This may not be the answer you were hoping for but trying to divide your TBH colony before it is ready and fully established could dent its progress too much half way through the season.

For THB advice try bio bees . com / forum
 
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Thanks Mike,

I was hoping for a more positive result but expected a negative due to the late time in the season. The colony came from a national nuc ( Oh the irony:svengo:) which was cut to fit then stapled to the top bars. Obviously this has knocked the colony back by a few weeks hence the lack of honey yet.
 
I have almost exactly the same situation. TBH filled by cut and shut mid May.. Looking to split. But only six frames of brood so not enough bees. Decided to leave till 2011..

Mind you I did see a queen cup last inspection and a bit of drone brood and lots of capped worker brood so the MAY be thinking os swarming : I wish!
 
Made a nuc and added an Amm queen last week from a similar set-up. But this started as a six-frame April nuc so a bit bigger when split. Can compare directly with someone who bought sister queen nuc and put it in a National. Not a lot in it brood-wise but his swarmed late May and mine was just making neat rows of play cups last week.

Not all went to plan as had a brood-dip due to varroa/DWV but not seen any wing issues since then and did some drone-brood sacrifice/frame by frame sugar-shaking which seems to have helped til autumn.
 
I would recommend using the National as a bait hive this year and cross your fingers for a swarm.

Why dont you get yourself on your local swarm list? You may still be in luck. Our swarm collector has been run off her feet this week. :)

oh and someone came to our monthly meeting last night with a swarm in a nuc that he didnt have room for. He couldnt give them away from what i overheard!
 
It is certainly not too late to get a colony up to over-wintering size, especially if a bought-in laying queen is introduced. Got to be aware of wasps attacks shortly, although with the lousy spring we had, they may not be such a nuisance this year.

Just depends on how many spare bees you actually have.

Regards, RAB
 
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