I often read the admonition that splits should only be made from overwintered hives, but I'm curious about why. Is it just so that the queen is a proven performer? If, say, your most populous hive was a swarm installed just this season, why would you not want to mine a few frames from it?
It's getting late, but give it a try. Feed them for sure.
Because you would like for your bees to survive the winter conditions that you have at your location.
Overwintered bees prove that they can do that at least.
There is nothing wrong with splitting any strong hive if there is a flow and time for them to build up for winter. The most likely colony to meet these criteria are overwintered hives.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm/ (http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm/)
Quote from: Michael Bush on June 28, 2012, 09:39:26 AM
There is nothing wrong with splitting any strong hive if there is a flow and time for them to build up for winter. The most likely colony to meet these criteria are overwintered hives.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm/ (http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm/)
Thanks Michael, I was hoping you'd weigh in on this.
Quote from: yockey5 on June 28, 2012, 08:47:14 AM
It's getting late, but give it a try. Feed them for sure.
I'm getting more and more interested in late summer splits. Maybe I'm kidding myself, but I hope that by waiting until after our June flow, I can 'have it all' - strong hives for the June flow, nucs to overwinter, and hives next spring ready to boom but not so inclined to swarm.
Quote from: Oblio13 on June 28, 2012, 08:15:32 AM
I often read the admonition that splits should only be made from overwintered hives, but I'm curious about why. Is it just so that the queen is a proven performer? If, say, your most populous hive was a swarm installed just this season, why would you not want to mine a few frames from it?
I ask from you, why you want to split just fouded hive?
Swarm? - What swarm? 1 kilo or 5 kilos?
Swarm, is actually wintered hive bees. It just escaped.
When you have 5 box hive, you may split it ito 50 mating nucs. Queens mate and you have 50 mated queens. To make them hives, you need 250 frames bees to make them minimum hives.
What then? You get them alive over winter. They build up 6 months and then you have 50 5-box hives.
You did not get much honey but you must bye 2500 frames and wax sheets and 200 boxes.
Then you need a 200 square meter big store house, where you keep all beekeeping stuff, your new car and ......
You'll be needing extra nuc boxes starting this early. Just keep pulling frames out to keep it nuc size.
Make more nucs or add to a hive that needs bees
Quote from: tefer2 on June 28, 2012, 09:41:06 PM
You'll be needing extra nuc boxes starting this early. Just keep pulling frames out to keep it nuc size.
Make more nucs or add to a hive that needs bees
I have a few 5-frame nucs, both deeps and mediums. I figured I'd feed them 'til they were full, pull frames to keep them small, and overwinter them on top of stronger hives. I've already made a couple double-screen boards for the experiment. Never done this before, but have been reading what I can find. It seems logical for a northern beekeeper in the Age of Mites.
Quote from: Finski on June 28, 2012, 02:26:11 PM
Quote from: Oblio13 on June 28, 2012, 08:15:32 AM
I often read the admonition that splits should only be made from overwintered hives, but I'm curious about why. Is it just so that the queen is a proven performer? If, say, your most populous hive was a swarm installed just this season, why would you not want to mine a few frames from it?
I ask from you, why you want to split just fouded hive?
Swarm? - What swarm? 1 kilo or 5 kilos?
Swarm, is actually wintered hive bees. It just escaped.
When you have 5 box hive, you may split it ito 50 mating nucs. Queens mate and you have 50 mated queens. To make them hives, you need 250 frames bees to make them minimum hives.
What then? You get them alive over winter. They build up 6 months and then you have 50 5-box hives.
You did not get much honey but you must bye 2500 frames and wax sheets and 200 boxes.
Then you need a 200 square meter big store house, where you keep all beekeeping stuff, your new car and ......
Just trying to make up for losses to winter and bears with the resources that I have.