Split by the box

[BearNBee]

I have a strong colony that I would like to split but I have read so many ways to go about splitting a colony that my head hurts!

I want to "split by the box" and let the new colony make it's own queen.

Please advice as to the best time of year and even the time of day to do this.

What should I look for inside the hive before splitting?

Do weather conditions come into play?

I prefer not to artifically feed my colonys but do I make an exception when I split or does this just promote robbing?

[Michael Bush]

You have to know that at least one box in each side of the split has eggs. If both have brood in them this is probably true. If one is really heavy or mostly empty, it may not be true. So it depends on the time of year and you should also pay attention to the weight and the number of bees and combs in the box.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#splitbybox

[trapperbob]

And also make sure there are drones. Your drones wont be the breeders but if you have them there are likely drones out there flying from other hives that the new queen can breed with.