Making Splits in July

mat299 · July 10, 2012, 03:14:57 PM

Ok, i have four hives this year all of them are in two deep brood boxes now. I am interested in making splits and doubling the amount of hives i have. My question is, would it be ok to go ahead and do it now or should i wait until spring to do it? Regardless of when i do it, should i go ahead and add a second deep on top of the new splits and feed so that the bees can start building out the second supers?

Larry Bees · July 10, 2012, 03:21:58 PM

I am probably not qualified to answer this, but I think that I would make them up now. Last year I made a couple up in September. Larry

mat299 · July 10, 2012, 03:29:29 PM

What about adding the second deep super now also and feeding?

AllenF · July 10, 2012, 04:37:17 PM

Split the double deeps into singles. If you are buying queens, you will have to find your 2 that you have, or use excluders to find which of the 2 boxes she is laying in. If you are not buying queens, make sure you have eggs or day old larvae in each box so they can make 2 new queens for you. Feed now, but you have to reduce the entrance to keep the robbing down. Now is the time of the year you will loose a hive to robbing. They need the food to make queens since there is nothing blooming out except sourwood if you got some rain.

mat299 · July 10, 2012, 04:42:16 PM

Thanks Allen. Do you think i should go ahead and add the second deep to each of the new hives as well?

mat299 · July 10, 2012, 07:01:44 PM

Or is it better to just keep the bees in single deeps in our area?

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Wolfer · July 10, 2012, 07:20:34 PM

I would add the second deep if they needed it but not if they don't. The boxes that have to make a queen probably won't need one this winter but they will need one early in the spring. I personally only want a second box if they can fill it full by winter. Your chances are better in GA. than here in MO.
Last year I started a nuc in August I think, got them in a full size box full of sugar by winter. Added a box in early spring, started a nuc from them when the blackberries bloomed, started another when I moved that one in a full sized box, started another two weeks ago and have taken 60-80 lbs of honey so far. I didn't think that was too bad for cow pasture country. The top deep still weighs 80 lb or so.

AllenF · July 10, 2012, 08:45:12 PM

If you have 10 frames drawn out, then yes, I would add that second box.

mat299 · July 12, 2012, 08:00:16 AM

What would be the latest this year that i should attempt to do the splits?

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Wolfer · July 12, 2012, 07:26:24 PM

I'm in mo and I would be comfortable splitting a hive with a box full of drawn comb, stores, etc as late as drones were flying. And that only as long as I was letting them raise their own queen( actually drones would have to be flying 30 days after you split ) If you were buying a queen I wouldn't know why you couldn't split anytime you can buy a queen and the bees haven't went into their winter cluster.

I'll more than likely start my last nuc of the year before the first of August. I'll do it with 6 frames of bees, let them raise their own queen, feed the tar out of them and have them in a full size box by winter.
If all goes well, if not I'm not out anything.