How do I split a 3-deep hive for a 2nd hive from packaged bees?

[Bee2]

Hi all! Thanks for your help in making this a great place for a newbee like me.
I started my first hive last spring, and through a series of mistakes (lost queen, started a nuc, combined nuc back to hive, etc) I ended up overwintering a single 3-deep hive.
I want to start my second hive this spring from a new package.
I was gonna take the top deep of my existing hive, sweep the bees off it and use it as the new home of my package I'll get in April. What do you think?
I like the idea of having ready-made comb for my new friends, but I don't know if it'll be too much work for them or if the original hive will freak out.
I don't know what's in the top box as I haven't peeked in it since fall (scared of messing things up; they survived so far!!).

Thanks for reading this!

[D Coates]

I'm only a newbee myself so my information may be worth what you paid for it. Your hive should have migrated to the top of your three deeps. In theory leaving the bottom super unoccupied. If this is the case I would remove the bottom deep and put your package in there to start you new hive. This would give your package good comb and keep your main hive from having any disruption. If your main hive is still occupying all three deeps though I would seriously consider splitting the hive.

On a side note I hunt right in your neck of the woods, beautiful farm country.

[Mike Gillmore]

If your 3 deep has plenty of brood when the package arrives, it would really give the package a boost if you take a frame or two of mainly sealed brood and add it to the package hive.

Packages will take a steep drop in population about a month after shaking them. The frame of emerging brood you added will help to bridge this dip in population until the first cycle of brood emerges from the package.

[Michael Bush]

If you want to do a package using resources from your other hive, why not give the package a couple of frames of brood (maybe one open and one capped) and some honey and pollen and some empty comb for the queen to lay in?

[jdagpatton]

MB, in the situation you describe, is it necessary to remove the bees from the frame, or can you add some to the new hive (as long as the queen isnt on them).

[Michael Bush]

Open brood comb usually is covered with nurse bees who usually won't fight, but the package probably has enough bees for the moment. I think I'd shake them off first just to be on the safe side.