Honey Bees
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Corey Peterson
5 year old buck +
I generally make some splits in the spring, but it all depends on how good the flow is. As far as queen rearing goes I use what the bees give me (swarm cells) and will move them into nucs until the queen gets mated and starts laying. Later I can use the nucs to requeen production hives, or grow the nucs out to production hives.
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
Corey Peterson
5 year old buck +
I don’t typically do walk away splits I wait until swarm season and when I find swarm cells that are capped (or close to be being capped) I do the following to prevent swarming and add hives;
I find the laying queen and create a split with her - it could be a 5 frame NUC, 10 frame split ect depending on resources and goals. I shake some additional bees into the split and move it to my other apiary ( more than 2 miles away). Don’t leave more a than a few capped queen cells in the original hive or the host hive might still swarm with a virgin (unlikely but it can happen). If you have additional frames with capped queen cells you can pull those as well and make NUCs with them too I don’t typically move these out the existing apiary because the swarm cells are fragile I keep these splits small until the queen is laying.
I find the laying queen and create a split with her - it could be a 5 frame NUC, 10 frame split ect depending on resources and goals. I shake some additional bees into the split and move it to my other apiary ( more than 2 miles away). Don’t leave more a than a few capped queen cells in the original hive or the host hive might still swarm with a virgin (unlikely but it can happen). If you have additional frames with capped queen cells you can pull those as well and make NUCs with them too I don’t typically move these out the existing apiary because the swarm cells are fragile I keep these splits small until the queen is laying.
Corey Peterson
5 year old buck +
I have a couple of these to make small splits with. They are super flexible and the bees seem to expand better than running regular 5 frame nucs. Plus it’s really handy to keep expanding upwards without having to move the bees into 10 frame equipment. I also run a frame feeder in my splits as well.
Attachments
I do primarily walk away splits and have been more successful doing that than almost anything else. I like a hive I Can split evenly with brood boxes and honey supers. I like to go through the hive three or four days before, moving frames of honey, pollen, and brood around within the hive so it is evenly distributed when I split. A hive with two brood boxes and two honey supers is ideal, but I do it with other configurations by adding new frames and foundation if need be. I try to disturb them as little as possible when I make the split. I take the top super off without removing the top lid and set it on my portable work table nearby. I immediately put another lid on the next honey super still on the hive. I remove the second honey super with lid and set it on the table and immediately put another lid on the exposed brood box. I have a bottom board sitting on the back tailgate of my truck with everything needed to close the entrance. I then remove the brood box with lid and set it on the bottom board on my tailgate and seal the opening. I carry one of the honey supers to the tailgate, remove the lid on the brood box, and set the honey super on top the brood box. I now have that hive contained and ready to transport. I put the other hive back together and leave it alone. I transport the hive in my truck to my other property eight miles away. I set it up and drive away. I would want to go at least four or five miles. I will do this from May thru July in my area
TreeDaddy
5 year old buck +
So you do ensure that each brood box has eggs?
Also, from the description,it sounds like you dont look for the queen
bill
bill
No sir, I dont look for a queen, but I do normally look for eggs the day or two before when I am rearranging. But I have done a number of spits without looking for eggs and had good success - going on the hope that somewhere in each brood box there are some eggs. I have not kept up with my success on doing walk away splits - but it is very high - probably above 80%. I can remember a failure or two - but that is over fifteen years doing several splits each year. I dont normally do anything but a one to two split. I know some do one to three or even four. I would think the success rate of walk away splits would decline fairly dramatically when doing that - especially if pre split hive inspection was not increased.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I don't look for a queen either but do make sure I pull an egg frame to put in the NUC. I always figured they would just make a new queen?
I take the new hive five miles from the hive split from (that’s how far apart our properties are), I have been extremely lucky with splits. I try and do the feeder also.
I usually use a smaller five frame NUC box that the frames go in long ways but the last two times I just used regular body boxes and it worked.
I take the new hive five miles from the hive split from (that’s how far apart our properties are), I have been extremely lucky with splits. I try and do the feeder also.
I usually use a smaller five frame NUC box that the frames go in long ways but the last two times I just used regular body boxes and it worked.
H20fwler
5 year old buck +
I worked with hives a little this weekend in between planting fruit trees....lost four of the six hives over winter.
Guess I’ll be splitting again this spring. I don’t get get it, warmer winter loose hives...hard winter loose hives.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it!
Guess I’ll be splitting again this spring. I don’t get get it, warmer winter loose hives...hard winter loose hives.
If it was easy everyone would be doing it!
cavey
5 year old buck +
Im going to have to order 2 .... had a hive swarm on me late last year and went into the winter with just one big hive, didnt treat the hive in the fall... paid for it, they were buzzing in the hive three weeks ago, all dead today... lots of honey and still had a bunch of the sugar board left. Thought I got them through the winter and was going to do a spit. Pretty frustrating. I have a mess now ...
fishin coyote
5 year old buck +
Had 3 of 6 flying 3 weeks ago but polar vortex set in so I guess we’ll see tomorrow or Wednesday it’s supposed to ge into upper 50’s low 60’s here. Late February and March are the toughest period to get thru in my area
Merle Hawggard
5 year old buck +
I should know something next week. I planted apple trees Friday, but it was to chilly and windy to really tell. Only saw 1 bee venture out of a hive.
I did check on the two wild hives in an old house near me and they're fine.
Chuck and I will be cutting them out this month.
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I did check on the two wild hives in an old house near me and they're fine.
Chuck and I will be cutting them out this month.
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fishin coyote
5 year old buck +
Well it was a sad day in the bee yard. Looks like only one made it, the others were done. I’ll do a full investigation at a later time but the survivor was bringing in some early pollen so hopefully we don’t get any super cold weather in the next couple of weeks.
R.E. Gould
5 year old buck +
Another rabbit hole to go down!
Corey Peterson
5 year old buck +
Lost all 6 of my hives this winter and my dad lost both of his - just when you think you have it figured out you have a crappy year. Had to order bees for the first time in a few years $180 for per package gets expensive quick.
Merle Hawggard
5 year old buck +
All 8 hives made it plus 2 more we're planning on cutting out of an old house next week.
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