I need to split. But how?

[ShaneJ]

I have a hive that is now 3 full deeps full of brood. With spring in a few days time I need to do something to make this hive more manageable and allow me to put supers on for honey.

Two main things I need to consider are: I don't have access to any queens and I don't have space to put a box beside this current hive.

So what would you guys suggest I do? Should I make some 5 frame nukes or should I make 2-3 even full size splits? My goal here isn't to make more hives but purely for practicality management.

Thanks guys.

[bernsad]

3 full brood boxes; what the hell are you feeding them up there Shane?

[ShaneJ]

Beats me  :? All my hives are booming at the moment. I have 4 other hives that are 2 deep full of brood. Probably need to split these as well but I was waiting for some queens.

[iddee]

Set one box off with eggs in 2 frames. Wait 10 days and get one frame with cells and set the second box off. 10 days after that, you will have 3 queen right hives.

[bernsad]

Iddee, what is the purpose of waiting 10 days between the splits please? Could you not take them both off at the same time?

[iddee]

Let them raise cells in one while the other stays on the mother hive. Gives you a stronger split when you transfer the cells to the second box.

[JP]

Just curious as to why you want to split them? You want more colonies? If not these hives of yours should yield lots of honey just the way they are, of course with additional supers.


...JP

[ShaneJ]

Just the height JP. Because of the cane toad problem here the hives need to be kept well off the ground. 3 deep brood boxes on top of the hive stand is just manageable, anymore on that would be difficult.

[JP]

What's you set up mate? How high from the ground are your hives?


...JP

[ShaneJ]

I have cinder blocks standing on end with timber sleepers on top of these with the hive bottom cleats sitting on the sleepers. 3 deeps comes to just under my chest so 2 more honey supers on this would be over my head  :?

[JP]

Shane, do the toads eat that many bees? How are the toads able to get at the bees? When they are bearding?


...JP

[ShaneJ]

Once it gets dark it would nothing to see 20-30 toads siting in front of the hives. Given half a chance they somehow jump up and get their foot into the entrance and then just sit there picking bee by bee from within the entrance.

I'm going to setup a new bee stand over the weekend for my growing collection of hives. This time I am going to have the cinder blocks on their sides to keep the hives lower. I'm going to try using a plastic barrier/fence around the hive stand to stop the toads getting in. I don't know this will work, but worth trying.

[JP]

Have you ever tried using reducers on your hives? That should work and you can keep your hives closer to the ground.


...JP

[ShaneJ]

You mean entrance reducers? No I haven't tried them. I have thought about top entrances though. Would solve the problem with the toads.

[duck]

if we want to keep birds of something here, we use these  http://www.nixalite.com/birdspikes.aspx

i bet it would work for frogs, put them on the landing boards

[ShaneJ]

That could be worth trying. I'm not sure I want to add more expense to each hive though. This hobby is expensive as it is :(

[ShaneJ]

Set one box off with eggs in 2 frames. Wait 10 days and get one frame with cells and set the second box off. 10 days after that, you will have 3 queen right hives.

Do you mean a full box? Or a nuke?

[duck]

you gotta make em, nails and a piece of rod, and weld it together. oh sharpen the nails to a hypodermic needle point with a grinder first.

[iddee]

You said the hive was deeps. Whatever they are, set one of them on a new bottom board.

[ShaneJ]

Ok. I wasn't sure if you meant just take a few frames to produce the queen cells.