[horselogger]

OK - I have a first year hive and have two deeps going well - The top is 3/4 full of drawn honey - Should I put a honey super on top or put another deep? The girls seem to be going strong!
Another question - Can I start another hive with what I have going?
John

 

[MikeJ]

My opinion only:

I doubt you will want to split them. Right now you have a good chance to make honey from what is left of the summer flows and the fall golden rod. If you split you probably won't be able to get anything.

I guess you could split, but then it would basically be like restarting with 2 nucs.
You should have enough time to build both up, but like I said you will probably miss any chance of getting honey.

There is no harm to supering early as long as there is a flow (which there still is here).

Mike
Weston, Maine

 

[honeyshack]

Yeah, add the new super.

If you are in a flow you do not want to weaken your work force. Now is not the time to be splitting.
During the flow, the bees life span is much shorter since they work themselves to death.
Average life span in the summer is 5-6 weaks. So the nurse bees are going like crazy to get a new work force in gear.
Picture this... from egg, to the time the bee emerges...21 days. 21-23 days to flight, and then what three weeks as a forager to time of death. If you split now, you will weaken the hive. You then will end up with two weak hives going into winter and a not great chance either will survive.

 

[horselogger]

Thank you both - I'll put the super on tomorrow -I've gotta cut some hay first -
This is such a blast -