What would you do?

690 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by psm1212, Jan 11, 2020

CenTex55

Discussion Starter · Jan 11, 2020

3rd year beekeeper going into late winter with 4 very strong 2 deep hives.

I would like to expand the hive count to 10 or so.

On hand are:
7 more complete top to bottom hives
9 5 frame D. Coates Nucs

I plan on 3 nucs being allocated to swarm traps
I have 2 new queens arriving early May.

I have researched walk away splits, brood splits into nucs and cut down splits, all manner of splits. Maximizing honey production is not imperative. Selling nucs is not on the table. Nectar flow here is usually diminished by June and most definitely over by July. Swarming commenced on March 13 last year.

With these resources available, what would you do to double the hive count?

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Steve in PA

· #2 · Jan 11, 2020

I'm partial to flyback splits. I would flyback split the hive, then when the original hive makes cells divide those between 2 nuc boxes and call that another split. I've done that before during our flow and it worked out just fine.

I'm nowhere near Texas so that may not work for you.

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roddo27846

· #3 · Jan 11, 2020

Split those four to make eight and catch two swarms. Done -- til next year.

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psm1212

· #4 · Jan 11, 2020

I am with Steve. Fly back splits. The queenless portion of the split will generate many frames with queen cells. Take 2 of those frames with queen cells and move them into nucs with stores and brood. That gives you 10.

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