[Darrel Wright]

I'm looking to split a pretty full double deep from a package and am looking for a suggestion on the best way to do this. It has about 9 total frames of brood right now...almost all of it in the upper brood box, with probably 80% of that capped. The bottom brood box is pretty well hatched out and now is the primary recepticle for all the nectar that is coming in, since they have already filled and capped a full medium super on top. That bottom box is probably 60% full of open nectar and pollen.

This queen lays fantastic wall-to-wall brood, but is very hard to find. I spent about a hour in there yesterday without finding her. I saw her last inspection and she looked like she must be on crack-- very fast, very frantic, but obviously very efficient. Her young-uns are runny too, though very gentle. I'd prefer a method where I don't have to find her in this squiggling mass.

I have a new queen that has been sitting here on a frame with a push-in cage for two weeks now that I plan to give to the split. Advice? I haven't split before.

 

[Dave W]

Greetings . . .
Im assuming this double-deep hive (2 brood chambers) was created this past spring???????

Why do you want to split?

Why not just add 1 more deep for a "food chamber"? After thats drawn and 2/3, 3/4, 80% full, then add some HONEY supers.

I think its best to go into winter w/ ONE STRONG hive than w/ two so-so, maybe weak, hives. A strong hive can be split in spring!

If you have "wall-to-wall brood", why are you trying to find the "old" queen?

Is it too late in the season for a split?

 

[Michael Bush]

I'd go through every frame and divy them out in the same basic location. In other words a frame of open brood for this one and a frame of open brood for that one, a frame of capped brood for this one, a frame of capped brood for that one, a frame of pollen for this one, a frame of pollen for that one. Put the brood together so it makes a brood nest. Put honey and pollen in the outside frames by the brood nest. Then I'd put them both facing the old location so the bees have an even chance of which hive they go in. If you make sure they have stores or feed them if they don't, they will PROBABLY build up enough to winter. At least they probably would here. You can recombine if they don't.