Hi Grant

Try to decouple the idea of making honey from getting a good colony for
winter. For example, if you look at a split made with a new Queen in late
spring, it will no doubt have a good chance of being a hive chock full of
bees that aren't worn out by a heavy honey flow. 

Then, if that colony comes thru winter OK it will be ready to have some
splits pulled out of it and make a decent honey crop in the 2nd year. Then,
if it craps out, you already have a couple splits to replace it. In other
words, the new hives replace the old. 

pb

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