Too early for increase?

[For want of a better word]

Yep! but my glass is always half full!
P.

It can still get knocked from your hand tho!!

Remember that Groundhog ..... our local Coat~a ~helee Mike, saw his shadow on 2nd Feb, so we still have another few weeks of winter to go.... till Mayday!

Then we can

 

[Pete Nicholson]

allways up for a party !!

 

[Moggs]

Hi Pete.
With only one colony and as you say that they are busting at the seams, I would wait a while longer for nature to take its course and then create an artificial swarm when you see QC's. In other words, allow the bees to make the decision, rather than disrupt their activities into something that they may not be ready for just yet. We will still get frosts up here in the Midlands. That could mean a bit of a mess if they cluster down again, with such a lot of space to heat, in a similar situation as yours.

It seems to me that you may be inhibiting the division of the colony, rather than encouraging it. I doubt whether it will happen for a while yet anyway (I've been wrong before)!

 

[jezd]

I agree.

Crazy to see this thread title in mid March, lets assume its a 2010 queen then all you have done is given them lots more space and less likely to kick into swarm mode for 2011.