Decisions and Indecision on the Fly

[dgoodman]

Hello All,

As I posted earlier, I had intended to ride one of my hives of a devil producing queen. I went hive diving today, but unfortunately I was unable to locate the queen. Knowing this might happen, I had prepared by setting out a bottom board, top, etc. and simply split the hive. I figured that I could at least determine which hive had the queen a week from today. I will then destroy the queen cells in the queenless hive, and add a frame of gentle larvae from a kinder and gentler hive. I will then go back to the hive that MUST have the queen, and try to find her once again...and start the aforementioned process over again. I recognize that I'll be losing honey production from this hive from all of this, but I figure it's good experience for a novice such as myself.

So now my Indecision.

Question 1: The hive in question (that was split) has two honey supers 65% full. What should I do with them? Place them on the splits, freeze them, or shake the bees off and transfer them to another hive for completion? Something else?

Question 2: When I did the split, the hive is jammed full of bees. Should I add a second deep, or do I let the bees raise a queen first? If I should add a second deep now, do I also checkerboard the active frames with the new foundation?

It's quite possible I'm mixing all sorts of concepts here. Thanks for straightening me out.

Best,

DG

[Alienor]

Give them space!
One frame of brood makes three frames full of emerged bees.
No, don't mix brood comb with foundation, this doesn't work well at this time of the season.
The honey supers *I* would add to another hive without the bees,
HTH

[Michael Bush]

>Question 1: The hive in question (that was split) has two honey supers 65% full. What should I do with them? Place them on the splits, freeze them, or shake the bees off and transfer them to another hive for completion? Something else?

Whatever you like. You can harvest them you can put them on one of the hives. It really doesn't matter.

>Question 2: When I did the split, the hive is jammed full of bees. Should I add a second deep, or do I let the bees raise a queen first?

Always give them room this time of year.

> If I should add a second deep now, do I also checkerboard the active frames with the new foundation?

I don't think it matters this time of year. That would have bee a good move in February.