>
>  what the latest date
>would be to try to successfully split a hive
>how many
>frames of brood would you recommend
>G Pahl


Gerhart...I make 250 - 300 "fall" splits every year. These I winter on top
of production colonies. I don't think I would call them fall splits,
though. I make them in mid-summer. In fact, I am going out to make some today.
         I use a nuc box that holds two 4-frame nucs, separated by a
division board feeder. I start the nuc with 1.5 - 2 frames of brood, and
enough bees to cover the brood. I also include a frame of honey/pollen, and
an empty comb. I give the nuc a ripe cell, or laying queen from a mating
nuc. These 4 frame nucs build up, and fill the box with bees for winter. In
late September, after the flow is done, I feed enough so they each have 3 -
3.5 combs of feed. They winter on top of production colonies, and in Late
April, are transferred to 10 frame equipment. Many have 3 frames of brood
at that point, and will go on to make a decent crop of honey. I use them to
replace dead-outs, or requeen weak colonies.

         Look at it this way. Everyone has colonies that just don't build
up well.  They have 4 - 6 frames of brood, but never make much of a crop.
You can requeen these slow colonies, in hopes that next year they will do
better.

         Or...you can split them up into 4 frame nucs. From each weak
colony, I average four 4-frame nucs. If you split them up early
enough...say mid June...and give them a laying queen, many can be split
again in mid-July...two or three ways. So, from your original colony, you
have 8 to 12 nucs. Even if you have a tough winter, and only half make
it...actually a low percentage...you have 4 to 6 spring nucs. All this from
your original colony, which if you requeened early enough, might have made
a couple supers of honey.

         Aren't 4 to 6 nice nucs...in the spring...worth more to your
apiary than a couple supers of honey? I sure think so. So much, in fact,
that I'm trying to convince as many beekeepers as I can, to give it a try.

         Get off the treadmill...make your own nucs, and stop buying crummy
southern bees.

Mike