July Split

[Apple Farmer]

If I make a split on July 1st do you think that the split will have enough time to build up stong enough to survive a zone 5 Wisconsin winter?:scratch:
The bees will be Buckfast. I plan on using 2 frames of capped brood, 1 frame of mostly larva and 1 frame of honey.

[ScadsOBees]

With a lot of feeding, sure. If they are on all drawn comb, even better.

Plan on wintering in a single deep and feeding quite a bit in Sept/Oct. Perhaps a candyboard over the winter just in case.

Rick

[wildbranch2007]

are you putting in a laying queen or letting them raise there own, do you have drawn comb or are you giving them foundation? raise there own and foundation and it may be a strech, a laying queen and drawn comb and don't let the feeders empty and you would probably be ok

mike

[Apple Farmer]

I don't have drawn comb for them. I will be putting in a laying queen.

[BEES4U]

I plan on using 2 frames of capped brood, 1 frame of mostly larva and 1 frame of honey.

The above is a nuc.
Try making a divide out of your original hive and you will have fewer worries about robbing, feeding, and wintering.
You might consider using a Minnesota hygienic queen.
good luck,
Ernie

[Apple Farmer]

Ernie, It sounds like a nuc but I failed to include that the frames will be going into a 10 frame deep langstroth and I will fill in with 6 frames of undrawn wired wax foundation. I might also beable to rob a frame or two of drawn from one or two of my other hives that are going great guns.
Why Minnesota Hyg. over Buckfast? I will mention that I bought a Minn. Hyg. queen in the spring from a breeder in Minnesota she was shipped in a JZ-BZ cage (no battery box) in an paper envelope without attendants! She ended up spending 2 extra days in the post office because of the date she shipped (not the way it was arranged)
I put her in a queen release frame in a 12 hour queenless hive found her dead 3 days later. Didn't have time to wait for another MH so I order Buckfast arrived next day in 3 hole with lots of attendants.

Omer

[HalfBakedHoney]

...shipped in a JZ-BZ cage (no battery box) in an paper envelope without attendants!...

Seriously? Do you know why this happenend? I mean, it wasn't intended to happen like this, right?

[Apple Farmer]

HBH,
I don't know if thst was (is) their standard shipping method or not.
I have read on this forum and others that here are some queen breeders that do ship without attendants. Every post I've read recommends that they be avoided.
I learned the hard way to make sure to ask how they will be packaged for shipment, what kind of cage is used, and if attendants are included. I also have them shipped next day air. The better breeders laugh and ask why I'm asking (for them it is SOP to include attendants) they can't believe a breeder would ship that way....it could give breeders a bad rap.
The best shipping conainer I have seen so far is from Strachen Apiaries (3 NWC, all survived and are good layers). They shipped in a sturdy deep cardboard box with a top that slid down over the bottom box. Both the top and bottom box had screened vents on all sides and styrofoam bumpers to keep the box spaced away from anything that could cover the vents. 3 hole Q cages were secured inside.

[HalfBakedHoney]

Thanks so much for sharing your hard learned and costly experience. I would never have thought to ask. Now I'll know better.

~HBH

[BEES4U]

Here is some data on the Minnesota hygienic
Minnesota Hygienic Italians were developed by Dr. Marla Spivak at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. These bees are bred to have a high degree of hygienic behavior known to be effective against diseases of the brood such as American foulbrood and chalkbrood. This trait is thought to be two behaviors acting in synergy, the uncapping of diseased cells, then the removal of the pathogen along with the pupae, effectively disrupting the disease lifecycle. Another trait, Varroa Specific Hygiene (VSH) is especially effective at targeting varroa mites. Dr. Spivak played a pivotal role in characterizing this behavior.
Dr. Spivak has been very active for many years in educating and promoting the use of hygienic bees to naturally combat some of the problems facing bees and beekeepers today. She has supplied seed stock to bee breeders around the country to help get a critical mass of resistant bees in the country's honeybee population. Read more about "New Direction for Minnesota Hygienic Line of Bees".
Regards,
Ernie

[Apple Farmer]

Ernie,
Good information on the Mn Hyg. from the information I've been able to find on the Buckfast they are also supposed to have hygienic traits. I don't know how they compare to Mn Hyg.
I may try them next year.
Can you recommend any breeders?

[winevines]

FOrget trying to make a 2 deep hive now out of a nuc. Make 2 nucs and overwinter side by side a la Mike Palmer method or some variation thereof.