Suggestions for spring action

[LocustHoney]

Alright..here goes.. 8 hives..6 with one medium of honey for the winter months. Two without due to the fact that they didn'y complete 10 frames until very late and also a dearth for a couple months. Should I be considering splits or working them with supers? What I want to know is which would I do first. I WANT LOTS O' Honey after all the work getting them going last year. But...whatever is best for the ladies WILL be done. I don't want them to swarm IF possible. I know there is only so much I can control. But control is what I would like to do. If my splits are done early enough can I expect honey from these hives?? More questions will arise as the thread goes I am sure. Also...I want to ask the pollen question. Should I feed them early?? I was told that might make them swarm earlier. How much pollen in a hive is too little or too much?? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for the help.

[Brian D. Bray]

If you experienced a dearth, like I did last year, I would wait to do any splitting or divides and concentrate building up the hives I had just incase of another dearth or other events.  Build them up strong and look at splitting etc in 2009. 

[LocustHoney]

When you say build them up strong, what sorts of things are we talking about concentrating on?

[Brian D. Bray]

When you say build them up strong, what sorts of things are we talking about concentrating on?

Good queens, large population, several brood boxes as a basic size.  You'll also get an idea of which hives are the most viable and energetic which may change your plan about which hives you split from.

[LocustHoney]

Several brood boxes....haven't been thinking about that.