Yet another split question

[Mech]

Hi folks,
Hey I apologize for asking about a split question.
I am in a very warm (meaning hot as hell) area that does have a few creeks.
Currently have 9 hives.
It's late in the year and we just got into our dearth.
Other than fancy residential flowers-with herb gardens and the nursery a 1/4 mile from here I think we are done here for the year.
There is no ag here.
I can see the bees slowing down.
I am currently thinking of making 4-6 splits.
I haven't done my fall harvest yet due to being over worked on my job.
I have at least 45-50 medium frames ready to go.
This is my fourth season of being able to harvest.
I have only introduced local hives from this area into my apriary (several have been from local swarms)and have never treated them.
I still have the 2 hives I started with.
I'd like to keep going treatment free.
It not going to be cheap but that's what I want to do.
So I'm thinking of buying some good genetic treatment free queens and making some nucs.
I have 8 new wood nuc kits I built with robber screens that have never been used.
My landis 3/4 of an acre.
I would really hate to do it and may not be allowed to but my mom lives 6 miles from me so there is a small chance I may be able to keep nucs ther for a short period of time.
My idea is to buy some nice ass treatment free queens to better my genetics and feed them at my moms place or 125 or so feet away from my hives.
If I can go with the new nucs in my mini barn with both doors open at 125 feet from my hives that would actually work better for me if it works.
I realise I am in for feeding regiments and as much as I hate that I think this is the road I am going to have to go.
Do any of you have any ideas to make this better?
Thoughts?
Thank you.
Andy

[Acebird]

Are you trying to expand or cover for winter losses?  To me splitting during a dearth is a can of worms.  You can split and feed all you want when there is a flow.

[BeeMaster2]

X2
Jim

[eltalia]

... me three!
If the heat is your motivator, Mech, I'd suggest looking at other alternatives... too many to list here ;-)
Playing with numbers in a dearth is one tricky manipulation, best left alone
to work through it is my experience.

Cheers.

Bill

[Mech]

I was wanted to expand a few hives for next year.
And yeah I was thinking dearth maybe not the best idea.
Thanks for the advice guys.
Andy

[Oldbeavo]

If you wait till next spring every thing will be easier and you won't be feeding, weakening existing hives etc
Why are you wanting to get new genetics? If it your 4th season with out any treatment....! There may be some guys who want your genetics.
If your bees are not becoming aggressive, then why not stick with easy care bees. Catching local swarms may be the best introduction of genetics for your bees.

[Acebird]

Even if you were treating and I don't, why would you want to introduce a pedigree into a small apiary derived from local stock?  Having a thousand hives you might be able to profit from the introduction but what is a hand full of hives going to do with this special queen?  How do you keep the colony from supercedure when it is so different than all the rest.  Personally I would never buy one of these queens alone.  I would only buy one of these queens if it was in a nuc that is at least a month old.