Here is my situation. I currently have 10 hives and plan on splitting this fall and increase my count to 30 total. I have 20 brand new complete deeps to use. I'm not wanting to buy 20 more nuc boxes and would rather find a way to use the new deeps but my concern is if the hives have not built up enough by winter I'm afraid of the deeps being to big and too much space to heat or for them to keep warm. Should I or could I just put a divider in them at whatever size they need or maybe just divide the deeps into 2 and do 2 nucs per 10 frame deep? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Randy
Why are you waiting until fall to divide? I'm going to guess it's to get a honey crop and then try to increase for next year? If so, then I would say you have a descent plan, but late summer/fall splits aren't likely to build up much at all beyond what you start with. If you start with 3 frames of bees, my bet is you won't go into winter with more than 4 frames of bees. If I were to do that, I would divide your deeps like you suggest and cover them with insulation for the winter.
If your main goal is to go into winter with 20 new strong deeps, then I would do 3 to 4 frame splits in June and give the girls time to build up strong before winter. My guess is you have a nectar dearth in the summer in Arkansas, so that might alter the plan a little, but if you were in Michigan, that is what I would do.
You are correct on the honey crop and then I plan on splitting. Was thinking more like around late July and try and build them up on the fall flow or feed them if I need to. Also if they build up to a strong deep I will be happy with that. Just worried if they don't and trying to get ideas now so I can plan in advance.
Late July would be pushing it up here; depending on how many frames of bees you split and rather or not you use/buy mated queens. However having lived in Memphis, I suspect you have a good month or two more time to build up in the fall than I do here.
I would go with the divided deeps if they don't build up enough. That way they share heat. If they grow bigger than 5 frames, then maybe put in a baffle of foam to consume some space and give them some insulation. I do think you should start those splits with mated queens though, they'll get off the ground much faster. Maybe you could start some cells in advance of your splits if you don't want to buy mated queens. That will give the bees a little more time.
I did walk away splits in Mid July and Mid August last summer. The Mid July splits actually built up to booming double decker nucs (10 frame total) by fall. I actually had to pull some brood out of those nucs they were so strong. However we did have a great summer for bees here last year.
Actually I have been gearing up to try and raise some queens this summer so if thats works out for me then I think things should be fine. Made a few splits last year that actually built up enough to swarm late in the year. Guess I didnt think they would that late in the season but they got congested.
I'm going to try to do some splits this year, right near the end of the main honey flow. My plan is to take out frames for the split from two strong hives that are putting up a lot of honey. Only this year, I'm going to put the queen into the split and leave the big hive queenless.
That way, the big hive will keep on with the honey while they raise a new queen. Then, when worker bee numbers drop in the late summer, the young queen will brood-up a good population of young workers for the winter.
And the splits will be able to build up quicker with the older queen too, also with good numbers of young workers.
A coroplast divider works fine. If you can plan ahead before assembly, a groove can be added by running in through a table saw. Of course, you will need to do something for a bottom board and top as well. What is nice about this, is you can easily convert back to 10 frame. I still use these bottom boards today.
http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/portable-double-nucs/ (http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/portable-double-nucs/)