Well, at risking overdoing a good thing, here's some more on walk-away
splits:

> I'm more interested in how your split 'em and walk away queens turn out.

We've done walk-away splits it before with good results.  The major problem
is the 21-day queenless period, so they have to happen early to make it for
the flow.

Popping in (protected) cells at time of splitting reduces this 21-day delay
to as little as 11, which is not a whole lot worse than the five or so that
is average for mated queen introductions.

Moreover, there is a pent-up effect from the queenless period.  The nurse
bees get a rest and are really ready to go when the first eggs are laid and
the hive really broods up fast when that new queen comes on-stream.  In the
more normal queenright half, the hive and queen may not be quite as
enthusiastic.   We have observed that established queens tend to lay in fits
and starts during the spring.

>From my memory of years when this was the only method of splitting we used,
the splits that raised a new queen usually overtook the half with the old
queen by July 1st.

If we pop in grafted cells, there also is the advantage of improving the
stock -- assuming you picked a good mother...

One thing about the walk-away splits that people may not appreciate is that
it can be done anytime you happen to be in the yard, with no requirement for
timing, waiting for queens, etc.  If you are there and a hive needs
splitting, you just split it.   If you don't have a floor, use a lid for a
floor.  If you don't have a lid, use whatever you can find.  If you are fast
enough, you may not even need a veil (How fast can you run?). Fix things
later when you come back.  This one advantage puts these splits a week to
ten days ahead of other splits at the start, if the other method means
ordering and waiting for a queen.  That makes the final outcome close.

It is also an ideal solution to bees with swarm cells started.  If you bust
such hives in half, they are already on the way and you will have new queens
in a shorter time than if they have to start from  scratch.  If you give
each half a second brood box at the time of splitting, you will seldom see
any more indication of swarming in either half.

allen