too chilly for a split?

1048 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Vance G, Apr 27, 2014

karenarnett

Discussion Starter · Apr 27, 2014

I am about to make a split, but temps are forecast to dip back down into the 40s and possibly upper 30s at night again soon. Daytime temps are warm. I've taken out a couple of frames of capped brood and am a little leery of the temps - wondering if this risks chilled and killed brood. I've done splits successfully several years now, but haven't done it with such lingering cool temperatures. Wondering if better to put the new split above the old hive , atop a split screen to give them benefit of warmth from the bigger colony, for another week or so. Any thoughts?

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rwlaw

· #2 · Apr 27, 2014

If you're letting the split raise their own queen, make the split and seperate with a queen excluder (the split on top of course). If you're introducing the queen, you'll need a snellgrove board. Either way the parent hive heats the split.

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Brad Bee

· #3 · Apr 27, 2014 (Edited)

I'm far from an expert, so....

I made my first 5 splits a couple weeks ago. I wasn't greedy and put 3 frames of bees on 3 frames of capped brood in each 5 frame nuc. They have done great.

EDIT: I forgot to add that it got down to 28 degrees one night after I made my splits. All my queen cells hatched.

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Vance G

· #4 · Apr 27, 2014

Just make sure you are doing the split so it fits the bees schedule if that is possible. If your bees have drones emerging or purple eyed, it is time. Split early on that warm day to give the bees time to reorganize if possible. You are right to be cautious. Splitting too early is disastrous.

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