too late for a split?

[Cuckmere couple]

i have a colony from a (laying) swarm on 12 frames of brood in a double bb

they are very well behaved and a queen id like to create a split from...they haven't touched a super

am considering taking 3 frames plus two stores into a nuc and leaving the parent colony in a single bb with 9 frames brood and 2 stores and encouraging them into a super

too late in the year? from reading and talking it doesn't seem so to me

any thoughts welcome

 

[SWEET]

About to create a nuc for an observation hive (comes end Aug), I'll be taking a couple of frames from 2 strong hives but buying a queen in so they can get started right away (also want happy bees as this will be inside my house ha!)

 

[For want of a better word]

i have a colony from a (laying) swarm on 12 frames of brood in a double bb

they are very well behaved and a queen id like to create a split from...they haven't touched a super

am considering taking 3 frames plus two stores into a nuc and leaving the parent colony in a single bb with 9 frames brood and 2 stores and encouraging them into a super

too late in the year? from reading and talking it doesn't seem so to me

any thoughts welcome

Split 50 / 50 into two full boxes and feed.... one of them will have the queen in it... move both boxes ie original and the split away fro original stance by 3 fee or so so the bees can decide which box to go into... if one seems to have more bees than the other, change positions over night to balance them out!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's still the middle of summer - plenty of time for a split

 

[mbc]

It's still the middle of summer - plenty of time for a split

Yes now is the time most nucs to be overwintered are to be made up, they do need enough bees to defend themselves though so need to be made up slightly stronger in numbers than earlier splits.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok, thanks all

very helpful

 

[drex]

Yes now is the time most nucs to be overwintered are to be made up, they do need enough bees to defend themselves though so need to be made up slightly stronger in numbers than earlier splits.

I am doing another round of queen rearing, which queens will go into standard sized nucs, with two to three frames. I keep the entrances small.

 

[pargyle]

I am doing another round of queen rearing, which queens will go into standard sized nucs, with two to three frames. I keep the entrances small.

So ... do you fill the rest of the space in the nuc with something else ? Insulation ? Dummy boards ? Frames with foundation or drawn comb ? Lots of newbies and some oldies would like a steer on the best way to get an overwinter nuc started and going in to winter. I've only done it by accident in the past but I've got some really big colonies this year and a couple of empty Paynes nuc boxes (modified to take 7 frames by removing the feeder) and I'm very tempted to take a couple of splits.

 

[For want of a better word]

If you make up a nuc with 3 frames, cut a piece of correx to fit against the frames and infill with 2 blocks of 50mm Kingspan or similar cut to fil ( the Paynes pollys are not square,)
Put the frames one stores with pollen one or two brood in all stages up against the feeder side, and shake some more bees in. Feed and feed again (1:1) and let alone for 10 to 14 days before taking a look to see if there are eggs... if there are not put in another frame of brood with eggs... if there are take out the dummy blocks and put in more ( preferably) drawn frames... and put the qx on before she absconds.

It is the not looking to see what is happening bit that is the hardest!!!

Chons da

 

[drex]

They will only dwindle for the first 4 weeks or so, as she has to mate and for brood to emerge, hence no pressure on space. I put a dummy by the side of last frame, leaving space on other side of that. As they start to build I add foundation a frame at a time. Never had any brace comb in the empty space.

 

[MartinL]

Global warming is here,
it wasn't when most of our books were printed!

Splits at this time of year could well be growing into strong productive colonies well into what we would have labelled Autumn only a few years back.

We should be experimenting with the opportunities, (and investing in bigger fridges).

 

[Millet]

Global warming is here,
it wasn't when most of our books were printed!

Splits at this time of year could well be growing into strong productive colonies well into what we would have labelled Autumn only a few years back.

We should be experimenting with the opportunities, (and investing in bigger fridges).

I made some nucs up over a week ago and the way this weather is going i predict that the nucs could well be in full brood boxes come Autumn time..

 

[Jambo]

Global warming is here,
it wasn't when most of our books were printed!

Splits at this time of year could well be growing into strong productive colonies well into what we would have labelled Autumn only a few years back.

We should be experimenting with the opportunities, (and investing in bigger fridges).

Have never used wooden nuc boxes but I'd imagine poly nuc boxes have had a big impact too, probably bigger in fact?