How best to raise queens for a newbie

[Fishdude123]

I want to split my hive next year and if it is feasible make my own queesn to do it. Could someone point me to the best way to make this happen, book or other article?
I have read a lot on this forum but I don't think I need to go as far as culturing queens, maybe just make some nucs in the spring?

[LBEE]

Hi!

There is good information at Bushfarms. See the following:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm

Larry

[RayMarler]

Here is link to online queen rearing books, free of charge...

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesoldbooks.htm

The Miller method is probably the easiest and least involved for raising queens.

[cow pollinater]

The easiest method by far is to devide the hive into two equal parts-as in equal amounts of open brood, brood, pollen, honey, empty comb, and just walk away. Just make sure you do it late enough that there are some drones around to mate with. If you wait until they are flirting with swarming, you can find started queen cells and cut your time between splitting and a laying queen down drastically.
The bees will handle the rest.
Check back in a month. If for whatever reason they don't manage to make a new queen, you can combine them into one hive and try again later.

[tecumseh]

fishdude writes:
I want to split my hive

tecumseh ask: one hive or several?

the various ways to raise a queen are somewhat to highly dependent on resources (hives to provide the basic stuff to successfully raise queens).

with one hive you are pretty much limited to walk away spits or splits made with purchased queens.

[Fishdude123]

I only have a single hive now, per the article on splitting to avoid mites it looks like I could have 16 hives at this time next year. i don't think I am that determined to make that many new hives but if I am thinking I can get 4 without too much trouble or effort and maybe even raise my own queens and i will be in fat city next year with almost no out of pocket expensse. I am currently making hive bodies for next year. I figure i will purchase the frame feeders and frames, make the sbb, tops and it should be very little out of pocket expense, not to mention a lot of fun and maybe even get a little honey to keep the missus quiet. :)

[BjornBee]

To take one hive and split it into 4, is one thing, and perhaps even a "little" honey as a goal. But your talking about splitting a hive, either very drastically all at one time, or splitting multiple times through the spring/summer and letting the bees raise their own queen. Raising your own queen is nice and does lower the cost. But doing walk away splits can cause brood cycle breaks of 20 days or more. Do this several times in the same year, coupled with the bees needing to maintain numbers through the flow to draw comb for 3 additional hives,.....and I would be buying that missus a gift beyond any honey promises. ;)

Just be glad beesource has a honey locator.... ;)

[nurseric]

Hey Fish dude, I would give it a long hard thought about the frames feeders. The old girls can go through some sugar water pretty quick. If the temp falls below 50 degrees fareinheit on the outside, frequent opening of the inner and outer covers to fill the frame feeders will chill the bees too much and cause death. Go with a bucket feeder on top board surrounded by a hive body and cover. They hold more sugar water and it keeps the bees much warmer. Less in and out of the hive during winter. Just food for thought. Nurse Ric