When to Perform Split

[testka]

Hi,
Fairly new at this and have only 1 hive thus far. Wish to increase stock by making a split.

Do you think its too early for me to attempt this now. Current setup is a national brood box with 7 frames of brood at all stages. I was thinking of taking out 2 frames of brood plus 1 with eggs, and having 2 frames of stores/pollen at each end.

Not sure if I should wait a few more weeks. I have seen plenty of capped drone brood around as well.

Any advise would be appreciate.
Thanks.

 

[Skyhook]

Hi,
Fairly new at this and have only 1 hive thus far. Wish to increase stock by making a split.

Do you think its too early for me to attempt this now.

Probably, yes. I'm in the same position- my plan is to build them up onto double brood, then separate theboxes to induce queen cells- a la Ted Hooper. Not expecting to split for weeks yet. Hoping to get the second box on in the next week, as long as it's warm enough.

 

[MuswellMetro]

wait until they produce QC

Queen+ one of open brood in new box on old site

the rest in a new box on a new stand , feed a little syrup and wait

 

[richardbees]

tes

imo you're a month too early to be thinking about splitting....as Muswell says, wait til you see Q cells, they know when it's time to 'go forth and multiply.

 

[Queens59]

What if they superceded late last year - and unlikely to voluntarily split this year? Another month still?

 

[MuswellMetro]

What if they superceded late last year - and unlikely to voluntarily split this year? Another month still?

Bees are Bees they always suprise you

you could go for a scrub queen nuc in mid april but i have drone brood but no drones emerged yet,

i waited until i could see the first drones not just drone brood then its two week before they are fertile so with the 15+6 days QC cycleto mating they are there to mate ( drones for me i think are 10 days away but it will vary on latitude)


if you did it next weekend the new queen mates around the 29th April, you could then call your queen Kate but normally i prefer to let the bees decide themselves

 

[Midland Beek]

You can't make a split until they start to raise queen cells, unless that is you buy another queen. In the meantine read the section of your book called 'Swarm Control'.

 

[Finman]

.
Let the hive grow. It has now only one box and it is minimum to me as a hive.
2-frame nuc will not succeed.

When the hive has brood of all ages, is grows fast. Next you add a second box. Put it under the brood box. Let the queen lay it full and you get more bees.

Soon you have third box and next week fourth box. Now you get a good start to the new nuc.

BYE A NEW QUEEN. DON'T MAKE YOU OWN. you just loose a month laying when you wait that emergency queen starts to lay. And that queen will not be good.

 

[Finman]

You can't make a split until they start to raise queen cells, unless that is you buy another queen. In the meantine read the section of your book called 'Swarm Control'.

that is very good advice.

 

[oliver90owner]

Problem is not one of getting queen cells, it is or grtting a new queen successfully mated.

Do some maths and predict the weather.

RAB

 

[Finman]

Problem is not one of getting queen cells, it is or grtting a new queen successfully mated.

Do some maths and predict the weather.

RAB

Yes, and it takes 4-5 weeks before the own queen starts to lay.

Brood cycle is 3 weeks. You get a lot new brood with byed queen compared your own which may be what ever.

If you do it now, it middle of May when your nuc is brooding, and a small patch only.

.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

I don't think you have the required colony strength at this time to make a useful nuc plus its to early to have sexually active drones.
Using commercial hives I would have doubled up and waited until I had at least 5 combs of brood in the new box, i would leave this box with the queen on the existing site and super, the old box would be removed to a new site and the material used to make one or more nucs.
If good swarm cells are present they can be used otherwise get in one or more queens, this will save you time, using the removed box to raise a scrub queen is not usually a good option.

 

[louiseww]

if you did it next weekend the new queen mates around the 29th April, you could then call your queen Kate but normally i prefer to let the bees decide themselves[/QUOTE]

Nice one! ha! sorry wrong flag!

 

[testka]

Thanks all for the informative information. Maybe best I wait a few weeks. My rational was that I had seen sealed drone brood last Friday (25/3) and I had calculated :-

Droans Emerges 8/4 mature on 21/4 (assuming other hives in apiary have sealed drones)
If I had done the split on Saturday (2/4)
Queen Emerges 18/4 mature on 22/4.

Seems rather tight thinking about it again. I'll wait a while and reconsider in a few weeks.

Thanks again.