Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Equalizing a Split  (Read 2363 times)

Offline dmccomb

  • Brood
  • Posts: 1
  • Gender: Male
Equalizing a Split
« on: July 31, 2018, 01:29:13 am »
I have recently split a strong colony and introduced a new queen to both.  After 3 days I checked the new queens and took the tape off so they could be released when the candy plug was removed by the bees.  I also switched the position of the hives because the colony  in the original position was getting all the field bees.  It's been 3 days and I would like to switch them around again to gain workers to the colony with less forager bees.  Will this work?  My idea is to keep switching them every three days until they equal out.  So, how often can a switch be made?  What would be the best time interval between switches?

Offline BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Equalizing a Split
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2018, 09:20:21 am »
If you are just picking up complete hives and not disturbing them then I do not see a problem. If you are taking them apart or are inspecting them every 3 days, that would bee a serious problem. A better idea is to put the 2 hives facing each other right next to their original location with the center of them being the original location.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Equalizing a Split
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2018, 09:21:09 am »
Add your location to your profile.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Equalizing a Split
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2018, 09:39:42 pm »
If you keep switching them you might not have hives that make it through winter.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline beepro

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 596
  • Gender: Male
Re: Equalizing a Split
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2018, 10:14:25 pm »
Let the strong hive get all the field bees at first.   Then later when the broods are cap just transfer a few
frames over to the weak hive without the attaching bees.   Once the bees emerged they will strengthen the weak hive.

Switching is only temporarily so let the foragers do their work first.

 

anything