Marcia in Portland wrote
>I thought it might be interesting to split the colony that remains into two.
>I've placed brood and queen cells in each box surrounded by frames full of
>nectar and honey. I have partially drawn comb, foundation and filled comb in
>boxes on top of each.  The original colony is going strong with field bees
>commuting in and out when weather permits (this is western Oregon after
>all). But the new colony has only a few slightly disoriented field bees
>coming and going. I know the older field bees will return to the original
>colony, so this new upstart colony isn't getting much field action. Should I
>attempt to intervene in some way? Will they get rolling when some of the
>bees mature to the field? What else should I be watching for? Any and all
>advice is welcomed. Thanks for your help!
 
In my opinion you have done the right thing. You could have left them to do
it for themselves, but you wouldn't have got a honey crop. So make an
increase, which you have done. We should plan for next year, this year.
        The second or smaller hive will tend to decline, because the field
bees have left and gone back to the main hive. I would add one frame of
emerging bees to the smaller hive, look for ragged holes in the center of
the frame. In a few days add another. When the queen emerges she will have
young bees to help feed the new eggs. It is imperative you feed that hive.
The field bees have left, there is no nectar coming in, so they won't do
anything. I've seen little nucs almost starve to death, as they will not
open capped stores. Or feed a little and often 1-1 sugar syrup, or break the
cappings and then see a difference.
        Don't have too much space over brood, in other words don't have
empty boxes on a hive which the bees can't occupy. It seems to hold them
back, it is almost better to keep them compressed. A small nuc in a small
hive will build faster, than a small nuc in a big hive!!
        A final point, do not use smoke on a small baby nuc, you don't need
it, you only have young bees with immature stingers!!
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