Joined
·
749 Posts
I am a 3rd year hobbiest beekeeper. We are just starting our flow, and I would like to maximize the honey this year, while not reducing (hoping to increase actually) the number of hives going into winter.
Here is my apiary (left to right, more or less in a line spanning about 25 feet total):
Hives 2, 3, & 4 all have 2019 queens, brood frames are all drawn, with good stores of honey and pollen, and a reasonable amount of brood in each. They are all strongish and I have no concerns about them.
Here is my thought - perhaps I can split hive 3, putting about 1/3 of its capped brood (with nurse bees) in hive 2, and 1/3 (again with nurse bees) in hive 4, and one of its medium boxes on each. Then I will move the remaining deep box with 1/3 of the brood and the queen about 100 ft away. This will all be done during the day when the foragers are out, with the anticipation they will drift into hives 3 and 4 when they do not find their home.
I believe the two stronger hives should produce more honey than the 3, correct?
If anyone has a better suggestion, I am all ears. I have plenty of equipment for other options (mediums, deeps, nucs, frames, "Palmer" double nucs, etc.) Thanks in advance!
Greg
Here is my apiary (left to right, more or less in a line spanning about 25 feet total):
- Hive 1: one deep, virgin queen, hopefully recovering from a bad start (I intend to leave it alone for now).
- Hive 2: one deep and two mediums for brood, queen excluder, one medium for honey (just started).
- Hive 3: one deep and two mediums for brood.
- Hive 4: two deeps for brood, queen excluder, and one medium for honey (just started).
Hives 2, 3, & 4 all have 2019 queens, brood frames are all drawn, with good stores of honey and pollen, and a reasonable amount of brood in each. They are all strongish and I have no concerns about them.
Here is my thought - perhaps I can split hive 3, putting about 1/3 of its capped brood (with nurse bees) in hive 2, and 1/3 (again with nurse bees) in hive 4, and one of its medium boxes on each. Then I will move the remaining deep box with 1/3 of the brood and the queen about 100 ft away. This will all be done during the day when the foragers are out, with the anticipation they will drift into hives 3 and 4 when they do not find their home.
I believe the two stronger hives should produce more honey than the 3, correct?
If anyone has a better suggestion, I am all ears. I have plenty of equipment for other options (mediums, deeps, nucs, frames, "Palmer" double nucs, etc.) Thanks in advance!
Greg