I have really super strong colonies now and want to split them, but I want
to try something I'd thought of recently after using a Taranov board to
make an artificial swarm.   The idea here is that the queen and very young
bees will move into the dark (as on a Taranov board) but if that's the
case, just move them into the dark space you want them in.

Basically the idea goes something like this:

1. Set a deep super some distance away from hive to be split. This super
will have mostly empty foundation with maybe a frame or two of drawn. Super
should be on a closed snelgrove board with an inner cover on it possibly
with the hole enlarged. Another super is rested on this. This is Hive B.
The empty super above the inner cover acts as a "funnel".

2. Move the hive to be split off it's own base and place an empty super on
the old base in the old location. This is Hive A

3. Shake all the frames from the old hive into hive B. The flying bees will
return to the super on their old base, the queen and young bees will crawl
into the dark space below the inner cover.


In this way the queen and young bees will be on a new base separated from
the old hive exactly as a swarm and you will not have to find the queen in
the big hive.  The queen and the young bees will be in a new location just
as if they have swarmed.

The flying bees will be in their old hive less the queen and young bees
exactly as if it has swarmed. If queen cells are present then they should
hatch out and be content with their lot. If not add a queen in 6-12 hours.

If need be the bees in Hive B can be transported by strapping the hive to
the closed Snelgrove board and even put in a basement and fed for 24 hours
in the dark as recommended by some artificial swarm methods.

Any thoughts on this?

This method sidesteps the messiness of the Taranov method, essentially
skipping pretty and interesting bees-climb-a-ramp step and deposits them
directly into their new home.

I don't think I have seen this exact method described elsewhere. Please
find problems with this so I don't waste time on it or show me where else
it or a close relative is described.

Thanks for your help

-- 


Adam

Adam Novitt
Library Director
Sunderland Library
Beekeeper

<http://www.pelham-library.org>http://www.sunderlandpubliclibrary.org/
www.northamptonhoney.com

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