tupelo blooming and spliting

[schawee]

the tupelo trees are starting to bloom and it will last about 8-10 weeks.i have 2 hives with double deep brood full of bees,larva and eggs. i also have a super on both of them and they are building comb in them.my question is what will make me the most honey in the 8-10 weeks i have with the tupelo ,spliting them now or leaving them alone and split them after the tupelo flow? ........schawee......

[bailey]

i would keep them from swarming now by opening up the brood nest by inserting frames, make and pull the honey then split.

bigger hive more honey.
2 small hives less honey.
bailey

[schawee]

BAILEY,THANKS FOR THE INFO.I WAS GOING THAT WAY BUT WASN"T SURE.I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HONEY I GET FROM  THEM.                                                                                                                                                                                                           

[RayMarler]

Choose one, and keep adding room above the brood nest.

Choose the other, and take away it's brood frames with adhering bees, only leaving the one the queen is on plus one more mostly empty next to her so she don't go off laying. Put the queen with her two frames in center of bottom, the rest in bottom nectar frames. Above her any remaining frames as bait frames, checker boarded, then supers above.

Use the brood frames with bees removed to make your split.

Compare how the 2 hives do, and raise a third from the early year split.

After the honey flow, you can then make 2 more splits from the stronger ones to build for the rest of the year.

Is what I might do anyways.

[DBoire]

I concur with Baily
Stronger hives will pack away more honey as there is a greater ratio of bees for foraging to house bees.  Splitting will set them back on foragers as ratio drops dramatically.  Also pull the honey after the flow and package as a specialty honey and sell according - at a higher price than wild flower honey.  ;)

[hardwood]

MMMMMM tupelo honey!

Scott