Altmiller split

MikeyN.C. · March 24, 2019, 02:43:53 PM

Was going to try this method, have already made screens. Was going to do it today. The weather next week is supposed to get down in the low 30's 2-3 night's. Would it be to risky to try?

MikeyN.C. · March 24, 2019, 02:51:17 PM

I'm worried about chill brood. And I have only one hive that I'm desperate to make increases from.

drobbins · March 24, 2019, 03:48:27 PM

I'm going to wait a week
after that the weather forecast is lookin good
I looked in my hives today and saw no queen cells
reversed boxes on one (I have 2)
I think they're good for a week

Dave

MikeyN.C. · March 24, 2019, 04:13:12 PM

Dribble,
How many drones and capped drones did you see?

drobbins · March 24, 2019, 04:18:05 PM

lots of both
I helped retrieve a big swarm yesterday, it's show time
but I'm still gonna wait a week till the next cold snap passes
I'm also getting some packages next Saturday so it's gonna be "bee day"

Dave

MikeyN.C. · March 24, 2019, 04:23:08 PM

Thanks, don't know how I got dribble on that post? Was waiting for tar heels to play I guess

drobbins · March 24, 2019, 05:03:51 PM

no worries, us State fans have plenty of time to play in the garden

BeeMaster2 · March 24, 2019, 09:42:39 PM

Quote from: MikeyN.C. on March 24, 2019, 02:43:53 PM
Was going to try this method, have already made screens. Was going to do it today. The weather next week is supposed to get down in the low 30's 2-3 night's. Would it be to risky to try?

Mickey,
The nice thing about an Altmiller Split is that heat from the bottom box helps heat the box above it. I made my splits on February 14. I?m pretty sure we had several 32 degree nights in February and maybe a night or two in the beginning of March. Make sure both boxes have a lot of bees or at least the bottom box has a lot of bees. Some of the hives that I did only had 5 frames of bees in the top or middle boxes.
Jim Altmiller

MikeyN.C. · March 24, 2019, 09:58:55 PM

Just worried as being 1 hive.
Thanks.

Acebird · March 25, 2019, 09:31:29 AM

Quote from: MikeyN.C. on March 24, 2019, 02:51:17 PM
I'm worried about chill brood. And I have only one hive that I'm desperate to make increases from.

Let the hive grow at least 4 medium / 3 deep boxes high. Split in half, wait a week and split the queen right in half again. This gave me good odds that I would end up with two good hives and in some cases three.

drobbins · March 25, 2019, 07:29:51 PM

Jim,

Question about your approach to making a split.
If a queenless split is placed above a queenright hive, separated by a double screen board, does this provide adequate separation so the split will raise a new queen?
Even though they're still exposed to the queens pheromones?
Of course they have to have an entrance

Thanks
Dave

BeeMaster2 · March 26, 2019, 07:27:36 AM

Dave,
As soon as you add the double screen, the bees above it are not getting the queen pheromones from the retinue bees that are walking around the hive. This is what let?s the bees know that there is a good queen in the hive. The queen right pheromones are different and they are what are protecting the boxes above the double screen.
Jim

drobbins · March 26, 2019, 04:58:25 PM

Thanks Jim,

That opens up several ideas

Dave

jtcmedic · March 27, 2019, 07:56:22 AM

Jim couple question watched you video, and saw another version. I saw in yours queen right side you added a drawn frames as to not swarm. I am planing on trying this but don?t have the drawn comb to add to the splits I am planning. Gonna be splitting my deep and 1/2 set ups in fall,to all deeps. I have plenty of frames with foundations but as you and I have said in the past comb is the true gold.

BeeMaster2 · March 27, 2019, 09:03:30 AM

JT,
Foundation will do the same, just be sure to move brood frames up, if warm enough, or honey frames if not. This will still help control the swarming in the queen right hive. If a strong flow is on, they will probably fill in the comb by the end of 30 days.
Good luck.
Jim Altmiller

MikeyN.C. · April 06, 2019, 04:18:17 PM

Finally was able to do split Thursday. Cold Mon.& Tues. even snow west of me. Did find 1 fully capped swarm cell and 1 frame with 2 queen cups at the bottom of frame with larvae an RJelly. so I moved full capped swarm Q cell up above double screen with capped brood and some pollen+nectar. I moved Q cups into a 5 frame nuc box , gave them 1 full capped honey frame and 1 frame of pollen. Pollen frame 3/4 one side other side 1/2. Rained all day yesterday. Had to work half a day today, came home and looked no rain today. Bee's in mother hive is bringing in lots of pollen so is it natural for all forage bee's to bring pollen back to original hive?

BeeMaster2 · April 06, 2019, 05:10:32 PM

The bees that have been using the bottom entrance will continue to go back to it. As the nurse bees become field bees they will return to the top hive. If you had a top and bottom entrance before the split, you would have bees using both entrances right away. My hive uses top and bottom entrances.
Jim Altmiller

MikeyN.C. · April 06, 2019, 07:13:28 PM

Well I've only used bottom entrance, not tops or both. So I'm guessing they will figure it out?

BeeMaster2 · April 06, 2019, 07:25:45 PM

Yes. When they orient they are set in where they return to.
I just put nucs in boxes and sold nucs. The bees that were left behind return to the old location and then fly to the box next to their old hive. They do this over and over. At the same time you can see the home bees are flying straight to the hive.
Jim Altmiller