time to split?

[Paul H]

3# package was installed 7 weeks ago into two 10-frame deeps.  As of today, the upper hive body had 6 to 8 frames of drawn comb, mostly filled with brood and honey.  Every frame was covered with bees.

The bees seem to be running out of room and, instead of adding honey supers,  I was wondering if now would be a good time to make a split.  At this point, I'd rather build up the bee population instead of tring to harvest honey.  Any thoughts?

[DennisB]

Personally, I think that if you threw on another deep that you could fill that one up as well if they have it in them and then do the split after the main honey flow with a new queen. Usually you don't split the first year unless you have a super queen.

Good Luck

Dennis

[Paul H]

Personally, I think that if you threw on another deep that you could fill that one up as well if they have it in them

I have no doubt they would fill it fast, but what's the point of a third deep?  Simply more room for a  larger population of bees?

[JP]

How about taking a few brood frames and honey frames and putting them into a five frame nuc.


...JP

[Pond Creek Farm]

JP:  Let's assume he does that.  Am I correct in concluding that it would decrease the liklihood of a late-season swarm?  What, then, does he do with the five fram nuc?  Is a purchased queen introduced or should the bees be allowed to raise their own?  Is the idea to raise the five frame nuc and turn it into an overwintering hive by the end of the season? If the idea is to create a new hive, why do a nuc rather than a full split of the brood and the honey? I am not doubting you, I am only trying to learn this whole split/nuc thing so I can emply the strategies next year when my hives are in a position to use these techniques.

[JP]

JP:  Let's assume he does that.  Am I correct in concluding that it would decrease the liklihood of a late-season swarm?  What, then, does he do with the five fram nuc?  Is a purchased queen introduced or should the bees be allowed to raise their own?  Is the idea to raise the five frame nuc and turn it into an overwintering hive by the end of the season? If the idea is to create a new hive, why do a nuc rather than a full split of the brood and the honey? I am not doubting you, I am only trying to learn this whole split/nuc thing so I can emply the strategies next year when my hives are in a position to use these techniques.

Paul says in his original post that he is not interested in honey just growing the bees, so to alleviate possible swarming (because he says they are busting at the seems, albeit its a young hive) he could do a small split utilizing a nuc. They can make their own queen. Depending on the nuc's growth rate he can overwinter them in the nuc, or upgrade them to a full deep or whatever. Now, you could also purchase a mated queen if you didn't want to wait for them to make their own also.


...JP

[Paul H]

...he could do a small split utilizing a nuc.

What advantage is there going small to a nuc instead of an even split to a full deep or two?

[randydrivesabus]

whats going on in the lower deep?

[JP]

...he could do a small split utilizing a nuc.

What advantage is there going small to a nuc instead of an even split to a full deep or two?

If they are slower to build, the advantage is that they would winter better in the nuc, its up to you really.


...JP