Autumn Split in the Dandenongs (Vic)?

[Steampunked]

Hello.

Standard disclaimer, I'm very new, bound to make mistakes, etc.

My hive is currently four Warre boxes high and the space left might be gone in 2-3 weeks (put a new box on Sunday, all three boxes were full of bees, bees were bearding off the entrance, bees, bees, BEES everywhere).  I'm happy to go to five, but I'm only a bit over 5' tall myself, so physics is against me for management.

Is it worth attempting a split in autumn in my area, or is that likely to be pointless?  I don't mind failing to gain the experience, but I'd be really upset if I killed off my main one from stupidity, and if there's no point at all due to it being just way too late, then I'll try in Spring instead.

[Honeycomb king]

Definitely don't split at this stage, is my advice. 2 weeks until the equinox things will slow down soon. The dandenong s have been great this season from the blackberry in December to the messmate now swamp gum and manna gum, oh yeah and mountain ash.
You'll have a great hive coming out of winter as it is, it has had great quality pollen all summer and autumn and surplus honey. Division in spring will be more beneficial than to do it now.
Take of excess honey if you want to give them room. Don't take too much as a big strong hive will need it to get through winter and spring can be slow to take off in the dandenong s.

[Steampunked]

Thanks, I won't split then!  There does seem to have been a pretty big boom this season, we're now in for some wet and hot weather for a while before lower temps start to creep in.

[Flycaster]

Send some wet weather our way please...

[Honeycomb king]

Steampunked. It's a great question whether to split now or not. It's a example of being reactive to the hive. The hive has already done it's expanding for the season. Count back from this date, back 6 weeks.  That's the date that the hive decided to boom. A good spring then the messmate had just started. As a migratory beekeeper we aim to build strong hives 6 weeks before a major honey flow. That is a good quality pollen so as to build good quality larvae.
An example of this hive building would  be going to canola in the middle of August to have a good strong hive for red box (1st Oct approximately).
As you have a good strong hive now, with good quality pollen stored, you now need to look forward to the early spring in your area.(possibly narrow leaf peppermint, Eucalyptus radiata). Even watching in august to see which pollen if any is coming in. Don't open the hive then just observing the bees as they return to the hive. Ideally you want to see 3 different types of pollen. Then once its  warm enough in the dandenong ranges, and that will depend on your aspect, and you have drones or at least we'll developed drone pupae,  then do your split. This is you keeping the bees and not letting them keep you. This is your swarm prevention and your second hive ready for the expected honey flow .
 Being proactive rather than reactive in your hives helps in obtaining greater volumes of pollen and nectar. It also assists you in swarm control, and the observation of any disease etc.
That may all sound easy but I think we all realize it's not. Good luck.

[deknow]

I really like the previous post.

The distinction between proactive and reactive management (and between aspects of management in a larger system) is a very useful one.

Reactive is terrific when it means putting on more supers because things are filling up....but less attractive when it means using a ladder to get the swarm that just left your hive....