> Our
natural early boost to hive population comes in the middle or end of
January when mustard, henbit, and red maple starts to bloom copiously.

These are the same pollen we use only 6 weeks behind you.

>That is a little late to start hive buildup for really strong honey
production so I assist in an earlier build up.

We also.

>You talk about deciding to make splits in the spring
 to increase hive numbers. Here that timing would need to be in
February
 in order for the splits to build up large enough population numbers to
make an effective harvest off our honey flow.

Count back 8 weeks from the normal start of your honey flow and make your
splits. Each week later you make up you need to add additional brood. You
can not make up a split a month before the honey flow and expect to make a
honey crop *unless * you make up with additional brood.or plan on using as a
single.

We figure 8 weeks for double hive bodies and four weeks for singles for
honey production. We run singles when we make splits after the bees return
from apples the last of April. The orchards are used to hives returning from
almonds so when we use Missouri hives for apples we wait until after the
hives are pulled from apples to make splits which is late for us but works
if we use our adding a frame of brood when we make up for each week we lose.

I have made up comb honey single  hives (by trashing strong doubles) and
supers on right away. Only emerging brood and usually queenless with a frame
of eggs (to prevent swarming due to overcrowding).
The method is outlined in Dr. Miller's book "Fifty Years Among the Bees".

 Plus, we would need
new/more queens in February for the splits.

Kona has early queens but supplies ran short last spring. Weaver has Aussie
queens early as does Shad Sullivan. I have used all three and had good
success.

> I just cannot get the
queens necessary to make the splits unless I make the nucs up the year
beforehand.

see above.

Michael  Palmer has a method for over winter of nucs. Our problem is too
busy a time of year but Michael has said he uses hives not producing to make
these up. After giving his method a lot of thought we could make these up in
late spring with hives not quite up to par for honey production.

I would guess the most often response at his presentations would be similar
to mine.

In spring the bees are naturally building up and wanting to raise queens and
swarm. We always get the best splits and queen acceptance then.

Fall ( although Michael might not agree) is not the time when bees are
making queen cells and thinking expansion. I have not done a lot of making
fall splits (or wintering nucs) so really have no first hand knowledge like
Michael does. We used to get strong fall flows but now we only see minor
fall flows.
We had a decent fall flow this year which saved me feed money but not a lot
of surplus.

bob

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