View Full Version : How do I do a split?
I have a hive that is particularly swarmy. Seems they are producing many queen cells for no particular reason. I'm content to let this go and just try to use this hive to make more bees.
If I pull a frame that has a queen cell on it, w/ drones and workers, and then put in a box that has some comb will that be sufficient?
What else should I do? watch for? etc.?
Thanx in advance.
Michael Bush
06-20-2005, 04:30 PM
If you pull a frame of bees with a queen cell and a frame of honey and put it in a NUC box it will work fine. They will have a real struggle in a full sized box. I suppose you could make a divider to reduce the space. I prefer to do that (one frame of brood with a queen cell and a frame of honey) in a TWO frame nuc box. AND I prefer to do it after the cell is capped so it is fed well by the strong hive.
tecumseh
06-21-2005, 05:14 AM
michael bush sez:
If you pull a frame of bees with a queen cell and a frame of honey and put it in a NUC box it will work fine. They will have a real struggle in a full sized box. I suppose you could make a divider to reduce the space. I prefer to do that (one frame of brood with a queen cell and a frame of honey) in a TWO frame nuc box. AND I prefer to do it after the cell is capped so it is fed well by the strong hive.
tecumseh replies:
michael and tecumseh are on the same page, but I thought I might add a small trick. as michael pointed out a small nuc can get pretty lost in a full size box. likely cool weather or robber are the real danger to the new hive. if a full size boxs is all you have you can fill the empty space with loosely wadded newspaper.
Robert Brenchley
06-29-2005, 05:56 AM
Is the colony a really strong one from a good strain, or is it just once which happens to be swarming? Too much queen raising from swarming hives can easily lead to a strain of inveterate swarmers!
Robert,
I have been thinking about that alot. These are new bees that I got as a 3lb. package (Carniolans). For some reason every time I get in the hive there are queen cells. I'm thinking about re-queening this hive soon. Because otherwise I am sitting on some bad genetics that aren't producing honey.