On 28/11/2011 1:53 PM, Mike S wrote:

> Is there a description of this method of hive increase?  I would be very interested in learning this technique.  Do take into account that I live in LA (Lower Alabama) and am inflicted with the constant presence of the small hive beetle.

Before small hive beetle we would routinely split a hive into nine 
nucs.  As soon as we had queens or cells we took a hive that had at 
least a super with honey full of bees and with nine frames of brood (we 
only run nine frames here).  We then gave each bottom box a frame of 
brood and a frame of honey and filled it with either combs or 
foundation.  By Christmas each would get their first super.

Enter small hive beetle.  Now we would have nothing in a week under this 
method, nucs had to be made up strong, or not survive.  Then a couple of 
years ago I ended up with some queens in the autumn that I had no places 
for at the time.  I decided to make up some four frame nucs, but I 
didn't have access to much brood.  I reverted to the idea of one frame 
of sealed brood.  At that time of year they mostly had enough honey 
around the brood, but if not I added a frame of honey.  The rest was 
foundation.  Depending on conditions (it tends to be wet at that time of 
year), I gave them a couple of feeds.  Surprisingly they all made it 
through our winter.  I have done they same now on two more occassions 
successfuly in the autumn and also do it in the spring as before if needed.

The logic is that they are made up using capped brood and sealed honey 
and foundation, thus limited harbourage for the beetle right from the 
start.  When these are put out into bottom boxes we also use foundation 
to fill the box on the same principal.

So we can now turn a ten frame (9) hive into nine again, but now with 
the added inconvienience of having to use a nuc box for part of the time.

Geoff Manning
North East NSW Aust

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm