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Author Topic: Did an Early Split  (Read 1301 times)

Offline Beeboy01

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Did an Early Split
« on: March 26, 2018, 09:05:24 pm »
Worked in the yard over the weekend checking my three hives and found that #2 hive was booming, chock full of bees in two deeps along with a shallow filling with honey. Been keeping an eye on the bee yard and have spotted drones from all three hives, the weather is warming up so I decided it was time to split before they start swarm mode. Pulled a total of 6 brood and honey frames out of #2 and did a split. Couldn't find any queen cells so gave the split a frame with eggs and young brood hoping they will do their thing and make a queen.
  Checked the hive that had a major mite problem along with SHB's and found that it has recovered to my surprise. All three hives are bringing in honey, seem queen right and have plenty of space to grow. Best beginning I've had in four frustrating years.
  Started feeding the split with 1/1 sugar water to help it get started right. 

Offline beepro

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Re: Did an Early Split
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2018, 09:43:12 pm »
Very good!   You know how to manage them before they swarm.   I made the new queens 2 months ago.  Then
consolidated the hives into one hive, 4 boxes tall.   All the nuc hives received 4 frames of drawn comb along with the
newly mated laying queen and all their existing foragers to start again.   Now the 4 boxes hive is ready for honey collecting excluding the
queen in the bottom box.   The 4 boxes hive also have more mites than the other nuc hives.  Then again, I don't have to treat my bees this season.


Consolidated nuc boxes:   http://imgbox.com/dapHQIiH
« Last Edit: March 27, 2018, 10:17:20 pm by beepro »

Offline jtcmedic

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Re: Did an Early Split
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2018, 10:20:18 pm »
Just did the same on the 11th of March with a  walk away. And getting ready to make 5 more this Friday when my cells i am getting are ready gonna be busy couple days.

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Did an Early Split
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2018, 11:24:54 am »
Not much activity going on at the split right now. Only seeing a few bees flying, hope I have enough house bees in the split to keep it going till it builds up. Going to give it a week then take a look to see what's happening. Can't rush them, I've learned to let the bees be bees. ;)

Offline GSF

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Re: Did an Early Split
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2018, 12:46:46 pm »
They're still like; Wow! Where did everyone go?
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Online Acebird

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Re: Did an Early Split
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2018, 09:45:40 pm »
10 seconds, lift the lid.  If they are there then they haven't gone.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline Beeboy01

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Re: Did an Early Split
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2018, 10:11:30 pm »
Took a look this afternoon, popped the lid, peeked in, all was well with plenty of bees still in the hive and closed it up. Starting to see young bees flying. The donor hive is still cranking and I'm going to try to get a nuc out of it and the other two hives next week. Right now I'm mainly concerned about swarm control and am giving the hives plenty of room by pulling brood frames and adding supers.

 

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