Splits or Nucs?

[gardeningfireman]

I want to expand the number of colonies I have without killing my honey harvest. I heard if I split a colony, I won't get much of a honey surplus due to the smaller size of the parent colony. If I start a nuc with two frames of brood plus the honey/pollen frames, will that still greatly reduce my honey harvest?

[doak]

Where does the bees and Queen for the nuke come from? Any thing taken from a colony will reduce the force it has. Why not just wait till after the harvest and then split. You may have to end up feeding the split anyhow. A split isn't going to build up enough to get a harvest, not in my area.
That said, it depends on when your main flow comes. If you have July/August clover or other sources at that time, maybe. If $'s in not a problem, buy some nukes. :)doak

[Michael Bush]

Timing is everything when it comes to splits and honey.  Also how you split.  A cutdown split just before the flow can actually increase your honey.  A split after the flow or towards the end of the flow may not affect your harvest that much.  I haven't had much luck with walk away splits after the flow (they seem to end up queenless more often) but a split with a queen seems to work fine.

[Kansasbert]

Will a split in a strong colony with a large number of bees and lots of brood help to prevent swarming?  I mean if the bees are gonna split on their own why not go ahead and try and save the bees that might be lost?