To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 1998 08:01:30 -0400
Subject: Re: Splitting Colonies
X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-1,13-14,19-20,25-26,28-31
From: [log in to unmask] (Dr. Gerald L Barbor)
 
Dear John,
 
     I make my splits in south central Pa. by taking three or four brood
frames of bees and brood, including the queen,  and one frame of honey
and placing them into a Nuc box for transport.   I try to include some
pollen, but don't consider that essential in this pollen rich area.  I
replace these frames from the original colony with drawn comb, if
possible, and introduce a new caged queen between some of the remaining
brood frames.  I usually remove this split to a remote yard, although I
have allowed splits to remain in the same yard by 1. removing them as far
from the original colony as possible and 2. shaking as many young bees as
possible into the split.  Older bees will return to the original hive so
plenty of nurses are needed.  I normally remove the split to a location
at least several miles away.
 
     The above allows the old queen to continue laying, so that the
growth of the split is uninterrupted, while the parent colony (which is
much larger and with more unhatched brood) only sustains a three or four
day "hitch" in production until the new queen is released and laying,
less the reduction in brood that was removed.
 
     I have, on occasion, especially when splitting colonies in remote
yards, placed the new queen in the split which I brought to my home yard.
 This in the interest of time and convenience in that I didn't have to
travel to see if the new queen had been released.  This procedure does
give the split a little slower start.
 
     I usually transfer the split to a hive body at the ultimate site
with either drawn comb or foundation in the other five frames.  Feed it.
 
Jerry B.