Hi everyone
This is my first full year of beekeeping. I have 2 Italian hives. One is thriving, over run with bees. Thank God. I am in north central Alabama. This hive has produced 4 gallon of honey this spring/summer. My question is, now that we are going into July, should I make a split or add a brood box? or any other suggestion???
You say one is thriving. What about the other?
Perhaps this is a chance for you to share brood or equalize foragers with the other hive, so both make it through the winter.
There is no sense in splitting two hives into three hives, only to end up with two hives again next spring.
That said, since you didn't give any details about your configuration - how many brood boxes and supers and how full they are - it is hard to give specific advice.
Thanks Bill W....the thriving hive is a 10 frame deep brood box with one super 7 frames almost capped working on the other 3. I have added another super. I have this hive from a swarm last year 2007 and my first honey harvest ever from this hive. The other hive is a package installed this past late spring, they seem to building up. Normally we have some type of nectar flow until late september, maybe even later. Our real winter doesn't come until the end of december or first of January. But winter here can be different every year so, I want to do the right thing so the bees survive. Hope this helps.
Green
Well, there are a number of different ways you can build a hive, but I think I would add a second brood box before I thought about splitting. I've done two spits this year from last year's hives and I did them when I had two deeps full to 80%.
If your goal is to keep your hives to one deep, now may be the time.
Last year I thought it would be really great if I could split my hives, but I took the conservative approach and just gave them supers. This year, my experience has taught me that there is no reason to rush a split, since the bees will tell you to split them when you have made them strong.
I would equalize the hives until you feel like your second hive is as strong as the first. Then I would give them more brood space. If they manage to fill all of that, I might start a nuc to overwinter and start another hive from next year. But, I would focus on making two very strong hives, which you might be able to turn into four or eight hives next year.
All of that said, I don't have a lot more experience than you, so my advice is worth what you paid for it. ;)
I started the year with two hives and am now at eleven from free hives, splits, and swarms, so I'm building experience faster than I expected.
Bill W. I do want what is best for the bees. Your advise is worth much more than I paid for it! ;)
Depending on strength of splits, SHB can be a real problem, especially in Southern states this time of year!!!