One thing that should be mentioned is that the walk-away split -- as 
with anything to do with bees -- may work marvellously for some and 
not at all for others.  

One should not suppose that because it is written up here that 
everyone is going to see the same success.

The locale, the strain of bee, the condition of the hives, and many other 
factors may enter into the mix.

The judgement and experience of the beekeeper is a huge factor, too.  
Some people can do just about anything with bees and get away with 
it, while others don't ever seem to have any luck.  

In addition to experience and empathy for bees, I suspect it comes 
down in many cases to the ability -- or lack thereof --  to understand 
and follow instructions, plus the ability  -- or lack thereof --  to observe 
and make intelligent extrapolations.

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