When to split

[Neurobees]

I've ordered a queen, but sounds like I won't get her until end of April, beginning of May. I'd like to split my current hive. I'm wondering if it is best to wait until I get that queen or if that is a bad idea as it's been an early spring.

[Vance G]

You might want to read Mel Disselkoehns mdasplitter.com and see if that is something you might want to try. Raise a queen and get help with mite control. I am waiting for drones before i do it, you may have them already.

[indypartridge]

It's not a good idea to wait if the bees will swarm before then. If the colony is building up rapidly now, waiting 3+ weeks for a queen may be too late. Depending on the strength of the colony, you might be able to make a split now, and then when the queen arrives, set her up in a nuc.

[Ravenseye]

Welcome to the forum!

Is the colony strong enough for a split and do you have drones? If you have a weak colony, you may not have to worry about swarming. I usually split when I see drones in the colony. Sometimes I can sense that the colony is wanting to swarm well before I notice the drones so I'm careful to give them space, etc.