When to split hives

[dulley]

I have seven hives in my backyard. I am getting a Carny queen delivered on Thursday to start a new hive. I plan to take frames of brood along with nurse bees from three of the strongest hives. Is it wise to move the brood frames into the new hives a couple of days before I install the queen so they lose the queen scent from the three hives they came from? I don't want them to reject the new queen.

Thanks, Jim

[geebob]

I don't think you need to wait a few days (a few hours is probably fine), but you can if you want. I would move only Closed brood (no open cells or eggs) or they might try to raise their own queen and not accept your purchased queen.

I split two hives last weekend that were getting overcrowded and had started swarm cells.

[ersatzS2]

I don't think you need to wait a few days (a few hours is probably fine), but you can if you want. I would move only Closed brood (no open cells or eggs) or they might try to raise their own queen and not accept your purchased queen.

I split two hives last weekend that were getting overcrowded and had started swarm cells.

I presume in that case you move all the swarm cells over to the queen-less hive?