Marking or clipping wing. Clipped wings, never have. I'll mark a Queen if
the opportunity arise. Around half the hives get supered in the early
spring, the rest gets split starting around 4/27 thru 5/10 using naturally
raised swarm cells. When checking splits for successfully mated Queens,
I'll mark at that time.
Once hives are supered, I rarely check brood boxes unless colony is below
average hive entrance activity.
Some yards I don't split at all. Them get supers piled on (5-7 mediums)
around first week of April. Supers get cleared 2nd to 3rd week in June and
put back on ASAP. Hives at the Apple orchard get cleared right after bloom
and before Black Locust Blooms.

Tim Ives

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