making a split

[johnwm73]

I have one of my two hives that is strong enough that the queen has laid two frames in the 2nd brood box. My other hive hasn't laid any in the 2nd brood box. The 1st hive which is the one I want to split is 8 frames full in the 2nd brood box. Two frames are brood the rest is honey stores. Is it too late to try and do a split this year? Also how will that affect them starting next year? Will next year be like this year and just be a building year? I started this hive as a 5 frame nuc on April 18. Also will they raise their own queen if I remove the 2nd brood box and make the split that way?

[HAB]

Don't know about Texas, but here in South Alabama nothing is blooming due to drought.  We just combined two swarms we caught two weeks ago for fear they wouldn't be strong enough to over winter.

[johnwm73]

That is what i was wanting to know. I have two hives. One is strong and filled 2 broods. That is the one I was thinking of splitting. I don't want to though if it is going to start the process over next year and not produce any surplus.

[Moonshae]

If you're willing to feed, you can split pretty aggressively if you want. It's not too late...I'm going to be doing splits at the end of July.

[doak]

Mimosa is in bloom now, if you have any in your area. Then Kudzu will come in July/August.
If you split make sure the split has eggs and young larvae.
You may have to feed now, but if they get through the winter you should have two good "overwintered"
colonies to start the season off next year.
doak

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#howlateplits