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Author Topic: Requeening and making a split.  (Read 4030 times)

Offline 220

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Requeening and making a split.
« on: January 02, 2017, 08:42:18 pm »
After another hive inspection yesterday I have decided to requeen one of my hives.
They are just to aggressive for me to enjoy working them, very little experience but the difference between this hive, the other hive and the nuc I installed is like night and day.
The hive I want to requeen is in a 8 deep, installed them a bit over 2 weeks ago, they were previously in a 10 deep, all the brood along with a full frame of honey and 1 empty frame were transferred to the box. I gave them an additional ideal box with foundation 10 days ago a few bees hanging about but they haven't started to draw any comb.
Yesterday when we inspected gave a few puffs of smoke in the entrance, and them rolled a bit of smoke over the frames, as soon as you lift a frame there are 50 bees around your veil trying to get at you, had probably a dozen stings in my gloves when we finished and I was very carful not to squash any bees. It was a similar story the previous inspection although my wife who was sitting 30m away behind the hive without any protection was stung. If I pull up in the ute 3 or 4 metre away from the hive at a 45 degree angle to the entrance we have a rolling wall of bees exiting the hive in about 15 sec that proceed to headbutt the glass trying to get at us.
For comparison the hive beside it was also a 10 deep that was packed down into a 8 at the same time, I gave them another deep at the same time as the hot hive received the ideal. They have started drawing 6 frames, a bit of smoke in the entrance and the bees are calm as while inspecting. The nuc that was installed at a similar time is as you would expect very easy to work with, didn't even put any smoke in the entrance yesterday.
I have ordered 2 queens for delivery later this month, intending to requeen the hot hive and probably do a split on the calmer hive just need to decide who to go about it.
I was thinking locating the queen in the hot hive killing her and leaving them queen less overnight or for a day before introducing the new queen in a cage would be the simplest.
Not sure how to do the split with the other hive, I moved a frame of brood and a frame of honey up into the extra deep I gave them 10 days ago. Yesterday the queen was up in the top box laying in fresh comb, empty cells in the brood frame I had moved up and it also looks like they are moving honey out of the honey frame I moved up to give her a bit more room as well.
Was thinking of doing a walk away split but by the time my queens arrive the top box should have plenty of brood and stores so simply splitting the 2 boxes might be an option.



Offline max2

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2017, 09:25:03 pm »
What has worked for me with hot hives but a productive queen is to move her with maybe just a good brood frame plus some honey/pollen and empty frames into a nuc.
It seems to calm a feisty queen.
Saying this, aren't you getting late for splits where you are?

Offline Sydney guy

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2017, 09:37:22 pm »
220 does this hive have shb in it?
When I recently requeened a hive i killed the queen in a small jar of alcohol for use later in swarm traps. I killed the queen and left the hive queenless over night, apparently the queens pheromones is still in the hive for about 6 hours after removing her. I put the cage with queen in the next morning and checked 3 days later, queen was free and laying.

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Offline 220

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2017, 10:44:08 pm »
Could be getting a little late for a split, one way to learn for sure and that is try it. I can always move a nuc into the backyard, only 30km from my hives but over 400m lower in elevation and should extend their time to build up a bit before winter.

Running a SBB on the hot hive and inspected it yesterday 3 SHB in the oil since I placed the hive.

Offline Lancej

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2017, 10:50:54 pm »
Did a splits in March last year in Victoria with no problems, with queens.

Offline max2

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2017, 12:00:12 am »
And I stop about mid January - a couple of 1000 km north! Looks like I could keep going in a good year - habit , I guess.

Offline 220

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #6 on: January 03, 2017, 03:50:16 am »
Interesting you stop mid Jan in your location Max, what is the reasoning? Does your flow stop or drop off then and you don't want to feed, I would think given your location they would be active for most of the year if feed is available.

I might try your suggestion of the existing queen in a nuc with a frame of brood and see if she calms down. Was planning on killing her so will only cost me a frame of brood and honey. Will give me a bit more of a idea of what will work where and when for me. Busy building nucs so will have 4x 5x5's when my new queens arrive.                                                         

Offline max2

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2017, 05:23:51 pm »
Generally if I stop around mid-Jan I get some honey of these hives. I would only feed in extreme cases and never hives I take honey off.. By mid-January we should get heavy rain and  we can't predict what there is for the bees flower wise. I generally had enough of splits too:)
I'm making up nuc boxes at the moment . I can send you a picture if you PM me. I have no idea how to attach photos here.
I make then from Hoop Pine with Weathertex bottoms and lids with metal discs  as an entrance - solid and not too heavy.
I have made nuc boxes from 15 mm ply but they don't seem to last.

Offline 220

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Re: Requeening and making a split.
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2017, 08:35:38 pm »
Thanks Max have flicked you a email

 

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