What do you think is the best way to do a hive split ? We are going to do a compleat hive split in the spring. Is it best to do the split after the spring built up and after some honey flow ? Is it best to put your splits 2 miles apart if possable ? What is the best way if you keep them all together ?
Thanks
With a chainsaw..... :evil: :-D
Remove the queen and 5 frames. one frame of honey, one frame of pollen, 3 frames of all ages brood. Be sure to leave one frame containing eggs and another full of brood, minimum. "if there's not five frames of brood, don't split"
Move split away from original location. "10 feet will do"
Let the field bees go back to the queenless half containing eggs.
Make the split when there are drones available and there is pollen and nectar coming in.
pretty much above but I do mine a little different, I buy queens for mine, I take brood and honey as above, but put it into a medium. add the new queen and move it a few feet away. ditto the bees that leave , leave, then the queen is released and in a few weeks eggs are rolling in. well sometimes.
The old hive I take another three frames of brood, add a queen and repeat. I get three splits from a hive, you could get more depending on build up and whether you split both deeps or all three mediums. I do my splits in early may or late april. depending again on build up and food resources, of course I feed mine till they get a foothold. This may not bee the best but it works for me and builds increase at the same time.
We have a strong hive but very aggressive hive of starline.We are going to split into about 5 or 6 splits to out breed the starline. We are going to buy queens. I think if we kill the queen or move her some place about 2 miles with some brood and honey and don't put any of our nuc splits in the same place as the old hive,they will do good,what do you think ? What kind of queen do you think the Starline bees will except ? I understand the starline are part Italian.
I think,do the splits and lock them in a day and then introduce the queen,what do you think ?
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm
Quote from: Joelel on October 06, 2009, 03:35:54 PM
We have a strong hive but very aggressive hive of starline.We are going to split into about 5 or 6 splits to out breed the starline. We are going to buy queens.
Actually, if you buy queens than within a few weeks you'll see a change in behavior.
Quote from: Joelel on October 06, 2009, 03:35:54 PM
I think if we kill the queen or move here some place about 2 miles with some brood and honey and don't put any of our nuc splits in the same place as the old hive,they will do good,what do you think ?
If you want to rid the hive of an aggressive trait then definately kill the queen. If you don't have any other hives real close by the one you're splitting then you should be ok to leave them right where they are. If you have other hives and don't want drifting then I would move them.
Quote from: Joelel on October 06, 2009, 03:35:54 PMWhat kind of queen do you think the Starline bees will except ? I understand the starline are part Italian.
I think,do the splits and lock them in a day and then introduce the queen,what do you think ?
I think if you leave them queenless for a day than you won't have to worry about locking them in. If you want more gentle I'd give the italians a shot.
I started this year making splits into 5 frame Nuc hive bodies. They are alot easier handling.
Quote from: weBEE Jammin on October 19, 2009, 12:27:28 AM
I started this year making splits into 5 frame Nuc hive bodies. They are alot easier handling.
Hi,Yes we bought 4 five frame nuc boxes this year and are going to buy more.
We are going to make 5 splits from each hive. Four frames to each nuc and one empty frame. Let them fill it,then transfer to a ten frame box.
We have two hives 3 feet apart. If we split one hive into five. Kill the queen or move her split a few miles away,put all the splits in a new location a few feet apart their should be no drifting,right ? Will they drift to my other hive not being split ?
We are going to make the splits into five frame nucs.(1) get our queens.(2) Make the splits.(3) Lock the bees in one day with the new queen.(4) open the nuc. (5)Look three days later to see if queen is out of cage.
Does this sound good to everyone ?
My preference is to use a 10 frame box with a sliding division board or slots for drop in boards. I routed slots in several boxes this year. I use plastic political signs for the drop in's.
The reason is I don't have to disturb them anymore than necessary. They stay in the box started in. Cheaper also.
Quote from: rast on October 19, 2009, 07:30:05 PM
My preference is to use a 10 frame box with a sliding division board or slots for drop in boards. I routed slots in several boxes this year. I use plastic political signs for the drop in's.
The reason is I don't have to disturb them anymore than necessary. They stay in the box started in. Cheaper also.
Good thought,are you using screened bottoms ? Can they craw though between the drop board and the screen ?
How do you add extra boxes on the split ten frame hive for expansion? Do the queens ever migrate over?
Quote from: weBEE Jammin on October 20, 2009, 01:45:38 PM
How do you add extra boxes on the split ten frame hive for expansion? Do the queens ever migrate over?
If your talking about the ten frame box with boards,after the bees come close to filling the 5 frames ,you remove the boards and let them fill the other 5 before you add a second brood box.
If your talking about the 5 frame nuc,you move them to a 10 frame brood box when they get the nuc almost full and let them fill the 10 frames ,then add the second brood box.
Quote from: Joelel on October 19, 2009, 02:10:40 PM
We have two hives 3 feet apart. If we split one hive into five. Kill the queen or move her split a few miles away,put all the splits in a new location a few feet apart their should be no drifting,right ? Will they drift to my other hive not being split ?
We are going to make the splits into five frame nucs.(1) get our queens.(2) Make the splits.(3) Lock the bees in one day with the new queen.(4) open the nuc. (5)Look three days later to see if queen is out of cage.
Does this sound good to everyone ?
Sounds good. Just make sure you let the bees go queenless for a day before you split and add the new queens. I would just face your nucs in another direction in the same area as the old hive, otherwise you'll get drifting back to your strong hive if you move them very far. Other than that it sounds like you've got a good plan.