[rtaylor]

Well I'm at the point I've got to make a decision. I've equalized all I can and now all my hives are busting out the seams in double deeps and wanting to swarm. I was really wanting to split using grafted cells but my forecast for the next 10 days is pretty chilly (50ish for highs). Would you do walkaway splits in this scenario or graft in the cool weather and make splits in about 10 days?

 

[David ryle]

Well I'm at the point I've got to make a decision. I've equalized all I can and now all my hives are busting out the seams in double deeps and wanting to swarm. I was really wanting to split using grafted cells but my forecast for the next 10 days is pretty chilly (50ish for highs). Would you do walkaway splits in this scenario or graft in the cool weather and make splits in about 10 days?

What's your drone population looking like, if it's weak, be honest with yourself, grafting or walkway, you're still looking at a 20 day window, conservatively, before you'd have a flying virgin. By then your drone population will have developed a little more, increasing the odds of a well mated queen.

 

[fieldsofnaturalhoney]

Would you do walkaway splits in this scenario or graft in the cool weather and make splits in about 10 days?

If I had to do something, and these are the only options. I would graft using a double screen, cloake board, or demaree board with those temperatures (starter/finisher in one), if it is still "cold" when it is time to move cells, you will need more double screen boards, or nuc double screens and stack them, or 3 or 4 ways, depending on what you have on hand.

 

[NUBE]

Well I'm at the point I've got to make a decision. I've equalized all I can and now all my hives are busting out the seams in double deeps and wanting to swarm. I was really wanting to split using grafted cells but my forecast for the next 10 days is pretty chilly (50ish for highs). Would you do walkaway splits in this scenario or graft in the cool weather and make splits in about 10 days?

If your hives have been equalized and are all busting at the seams, I’d assume you’ve had drones emerging and on the combs for a few weeks now. At some point, the bees just won’t wait for you any more. I’d say either way is fine, walkaways or grafts. Sounds like you’d planned on grafts though, I don’t think you’d need to wait. I think it’s Randy Oliver who has a presentation where he shows he and his crew building starters in the snow. The only advantage to the walkaways would be that you’ll immediately relieve that swarm pressure in all of your colonies. But, if you have a few nice candidate hives in mind to graft from because you like their characteristics, walkaways would, at the very least, alter and set back that plan.

 

[Gray Goose]

I would check every 6 days then split when I have swarm cells.
IF you plan to split add a 3rd deep and let them start to draw.
I'm not hot on cool weather grafts or splits.

I would procrastinate , with watching.

GG

 

[crofter]

It would be at least 15 days after grafting before the virgin queens would be ready to fly to mate.

 

[ruthiesbees]

I always prefer grafting to walk away splits for better & bigger queens. If you need to set up the cell builder, that would go a long way in relieving congestion in the brood nest by pulling a frame or two of ready to emerge brood from each colony and putting it over an excluder/cloake board to get a huge number of nurse bees in the next 10 days and then drop your grafts in (give them a frame of emerged brood 24 hrs prior so they get in feeding mode and then remove when you set your grafts).

 

[GregH]

Make your splits heavy and use 48 hour cells, best of both worlds.

 

[thill]

If cold is a serious threat, a double screen board split might prevent chilled brood issues.

I did a walkaway split too early this year, and the brood got chilled. Fortunately, the capped brood survived after I re-combined. Double screen boards for me this early from now on.

 

[ifixoldhouses]

I always prefer grafting to walk away splits for better & bigger queens. If you need to set up the cell builder, that would go a long way in relieving congestion in the brood nest by pulling a frame or two of ready to emerge brood from each colony and putting it over an excluder/cloake board to get a huge number of nurse bees in the next 10 days and then drop your grafts in (give them a frame of emerged brood 24 hrs prior so they get in feeding mode and then remove when you set your grafts).

you mean open brood at the end?

 

[tbishop]

My method is to make 3 frame nucs. 1 frame of stores with bees. 1 frame of eggs and larva. 1 frame of sealed hatching brood. Add adult bees as needed. Move the nuc to new location. Make sure your nuc box is tight and cozy. I generally place these nucs into my overwintered yards. As long as the big colonies have drones you should be good to go. My success with this setup is averaging around 80+ success. We transfer the 3 framers to 5 frame nucs and super them up. The following spring we transfer into our deadouts as needed. I haven'e needed to buy packages or queens in the last 5 years. For me here in Indiana the system works extremely well...

 

[ruthiesbees]

you mean open brood at the end?

yes, I do mean young open brood 24 hrs prior to grafting. Thanks for catching that.