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split into an observation hive

3254 Views 5 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  Michael Bush, 
M
I am a newbie. i purchased a few 10 med frame hives nearly 3 weeks ago. they are doing well and have about 17-18 frames drawn out each now. i have lots of capped brood, larvae, pollen, etc... they are both nice strong hives. my hubby and i built a five med frame observation hive for my birthday over the weekend. i want to make a split to load the observation hive. i would like to watch them make a new queen. do i take from just one hive...both?? what would be a good mix to take? i know i need newly laid eggs. what else? do i fill all five? :s
fyi::i chose 5 frames so that i can put them in a nuc before winter and overwinter them on top of one of my other hives.
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M

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#2 ·
I would put one frame of open brood w/eggs on bottom.
One frame capped brood second up.
One drawn or partially drawn frame 3rd. Then the next two undrawn.

The empty one, take a garden sprayer and fill the holes with 1:1. Make sure they have enough young nurse bees to cover 2 frames totally. (better if it was crowded enough to cover 2 1/2 frames)

Make sure they have 1:1 in a feeder and make sure they have pollen patties. I cut 1"x4" squares and put two on top of each brood frame. It lets you see them work it for a while.

Close everything up and enjoy.



Take care
Mark


PS. Micheal Bush has a good section on his site ire http://bushfarms.com/beesobservationhives.htm about observation hives. Worth the reading.
 
M

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#5 ·
From whichever hive that can best spare the resources.


If you take emerging from one hive, open brood and eggs from another, and stores from yet another it will be just as effective. The nurse bees dont care. They just want/need something to do.

As for shaking into your OB hive, its effective to shake them into it when you install the frames. Like is being said though, make sure you have more than what you think you will need.

If you find yourself short on bees, rather than take the OB hive out and opening it up, you can take a box that had young bees shaken into it. Leave it in a cool dark place overnight, then open them up with no other choice but to wander into the OB hive. I did this early last week and it works wonderfully.
 
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