Advice on splitting hive

[Tom Fran]

I have a hive with (5) eight frame boxes on it. It is full of bees with capped brood. Last year I was able to catch my first swarm in a hive trap, and so I didn't fare too bad. But this year, I would prefer to split my hive before they decide to swarm.

There are drones in the hive, and they are creating more drone brood. When should I split the hive? I read on Michael Bush's site that I could divide up the hive evenly and face the new hives toward the old hive location.

I have never done a split before, so any advice is welcomed. Thanks in advance for the help.

[wadehump]

If you have drones then you can do a split i would do a even split and place the hive with the queen on a new stand to give the queenless hive all of the incoming resources to raise a new queen

[Tom Fran]

Thanks for the reply. I have read a lot about doing splits, and it seemed like it could be complicated. Sometimes too much information can be confusing. This sounds like something I can handle.

[Vance G]

Just make sure you have worker eggs and open brood in both portions so the queenless one has the resources to raise a queen. If you are confident you can find the queen, I would recommend you leave the bulk of the resources with the colony having to raise an emergency queen. But hard to argue with Mr Bush.

[Tom Fran]

Thanks a lot fellas. Tomorrow I will divide the hive like dealing a deck of cards. One for you, and one for you - and then say a prayer!

You have to start somewhere, right?