Hi Everyone
It's coming up to spring and was wondering. I want to increase my hives from one to two. I was
going to buy another lot of bees, but wondered if I could just split mine. If I split mine will it reduce
my honey production for the year. Because apparently our area doesn't get the best honey flow.
So I really wanted to get 25kg of honey ( 1 box) of honey this year from my first hive. Any thoughts
I have referenced the whole of your post for clarity BL, there is info coming through in
posts which is not relevant or wholly inaccurate in terms of your question.
It all gets confusing/muddled in sorting out, for the new player (IME-OMMV).
Basicly you ask how to increase the apairy without impacting what you have now.
There is only one answer, as your question already states - bring in more bees.
My earlier post points to options over buying bees.
As to splits?
Follow the American model to find out for yourself, I cannot recommend those methods
nor splitying per se in respect of the implied premise in yoyr question.
However the short version (anywhere) is - split only on a flow, and then at 50/50 with the
queen going to the new colony placed more than 3Ks away from the apiary, returning to the
flow after maybe four days max.
Timing depends on local flora, but best conditions all round are between
midSeptember to late October before the true heat sets in.
Cheers.
Bill