Subject: Winter splits
Date: Sat, 20 Jan 2001 14:31:57 -0800
From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@egroups.com>



Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping:

Dave Wrote:

The 50 mm insulation under the roof may be useful as your "splits" (as I
think you call them) are perhaps a little short on bees.

Regards Dave (we still have the coldest part of out winter to come)

Reply:

We don't use insulation under lids ourselves,although some local beekeepers
have tried styrofoam for insulation, but the hot sun, makes it decompose
rather quickly and the cattle/scavengers on the ranches, etc like to eat on
them. We do use modified inner covers, that double as nuc division boards
for piggybacking splits when we face the entrances on the division boards to
the back between broodnest supers.

We have been dividing strong darker colonies with at least three deeps of
honey/pollen and brood(some with 2-3 frames even into 4th deep) since the
8th of January. Since we shook down in 97 and stabalized in 98 and started
climbing back, our spring startup has progressed earlier, back to what it
was or better in the early 1980s. It is averaging 60s with nights in 40s in
Jan except when rains come (about every 4-5 days) on El Nino now, and then
it dips down to about high 40s and 50s range for daytime and 20s/30s at
night alternating.

We divide ahead of the early spring storms up in the mountains where our
bees are, to use the natural temperature inversion to our advantage for
making bees.It works pretty good from about 3500' to 4600' elevation here.
By dividing ahead of storms, bees tend to stay put where placed.

We normally rip off the third deep with accompanying 4th for divide and take
old queen and set down intack, with all honey/pollen/and bees. Figure we
need an average of 4-6 frames of brood and bees to pull it off. Splits are
set on opposite side of yard worked facing in opposite direction north to
south. Above the split set down is place a new super with 4.9 foundation
undrawn with two drawnout frames empty in the center for the queen and bees
to start up with.

Normally there is enough spring flow getting started for buildup with
mustard and mountain shrubs (jojoba; berry) and mistletoe from warmth of
rocks holding heat at night.

Once split we don't touch for 4 weeks and then go back and check. We divide
before the spring solstice where possible or with it for our black bees, to
mimic temp back in climates from which they supposedly came. Since we have
now reached about 500 colonies we again have survivalability and
variability, so now with breeding possible, we are now starting what we did
and are known for doing in the 1980s with our bees.Also to gain another 100
colonies would be nice, not counting what we will do the rest of the year,
when we will be forced to use virgins to know what color we are getting with
our queens.

Yes, with the divides in middle of winter, and hot summers not recommended
for large entrances, it kind of makes it hard to use OMF and keep changing
back and forth. Best to let the bees adjust naturally to management and go
on.

But I am the local bee association president for Southern Arizona Beekeepers
for several years and other beekeepers have asked about OMF, so the data is
useful to know both pro and con, hence the questions.Not all divide the way
we do, instead following the calendar and not the bees. We always follow the
bees we want.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby
Tucson, Arizona
USA