[angel]

I'm getting ready to do a simple walkaway split and I have two questions.

1. Many sources regarding walkaway splits say to block entrances up to 24 hours. If not using a screened bottom board (for ventilation), wouldn't this overheat the nurse bees/brood in the new split for this summers heat?

2. I was wanting to put the new split to the direct right of the first source hive (45 degrees), thus returning bees have two options at this point (new or old). Would this be "ok" to do, or move to a location farther off?

 

[kilocharlie]

A "walk-away split" is a cheap method to divide hives, but I strongly prefer to give them a mated queen in a Laidlaw push-in queen introduction cage, as it keeps the bees "on-line" for whatever their current duties are - pollination, honey production, etc.

It also allows me to control the genetics somewhat, reduces risk of no viable queen being produced (thus avoiding a laying worker colony), and massively increases the chances of getting 2 splits in a given year from the one hive.

That said, 1) ventilate the hive if you are going to block up a split, and maybe make a shade over the hive if the sun is getting wicked.

2) I prefer to move colonies with "new" queens far (>10 miles) from their parent colonies. Having looked back on my own data recently, it appears to be quite an advantage to do so. I do not have significant numbers to induce nor to prove anything, but a strong bias in favor of raising colonies with new queens far from home on the (admittedly limited) nuc's I've tried so far.

Best of luck!

 

[Slow Drone]

I don't block entrances just throw a hand full of grass on them so the bees can reorient. I leave the split next to the parent colony the older bees go back to the parent hive and you are left with mostly young bees which is what you want in a walk away. Early in the season 7 out of 8 produce mated queens now I'm averaging 9 out of 10. Cheap yes but I don't do it for the economic I do it for queens that I like and better than I can buy plus the local gene pool contributes to queens that over winter very successfully. I use 1 frame of sealed brood 1 frame of eggs and open brood 1 frame of pollen and honey. I've done it for years and it works quit well. Early in the season I just do 2 frame splits. I have never justified moving anything any distance other than a few inches or a few feet. The key to it is selecting the frames for the splits, that goes for any split whether with a queen cell a mated queen or just a walk away. Out of 1 hive I've pull 7 successful splits using this method and I have queens that are laying wall to wall. It is not uncommon for me to have 3 year old queens it is uncommon anymore to get 2 seasons out of bought queens.

 

[mattheritage]

Block the entrance with a piece of screen mesh. Airflow, and bees stay inside.

 

[Michael Bush]

>1. Many sources regarding walkaway splits say to block entrances up to 24 hours. If not using a screened bottom board (for ventilation), wouldn't this overheat the nurse bees/brood in the new split for this summers heat?

On a really hot day they will all be dead in two hours...

> 2. I was wanting to put the new split to the direct right of the first source hive (45 degrees), thus returning bees have two options at this point (new or old). Would this be "ok" to do, or move to a location farther off?

Put them where you want them. Either face both of them to the old location or shake extra bees into the new location.

 

[AugustC]

I don't really see why you would need to block the entrances at all. What you're thinking of with the hive placement "should" mean a roughly 50:50 split in returning foragers but it may not work like that. You might be better moving the hive a little further away and if it looks low on numbers switch locations at a later date. I attempted an equal walkaway split this year and did end up with the queenless side throwing off cast swarms and ending up queenless. The mistake I made was not inspecting until two weeks after the split (since they would have started 4 day old larva) and then when I inspected the following week only checking the queen cell I had found the week before. Stay on top of your queen cells! Inspect all combs each time as you might have a laying queen which is immediately superseded. I am sure you know that and it was just me who didn't but thought I would tell you anyhow