Interestingly
> Large colonies (15 frames of bees) the queen only layed 25 eggs per hour.

As we move into a period of possibly colder winters in my area the above
plays a role. Less winter bees.
We saw this scenario play out last winter. Even with feeding some large
hives slowed egg production and produced less winter bees. The sign is
usually a hive with a 4-7 frame  size queenright cluster and the other half
of the fall 15 frames of bees on the bottom board in early spring.

*In my opinion* part of the success with late summer splits is because of
the winter cluster made up of mostly young & winter bees.

We are seeing the signs of an early clover flow in Missouri so I am looking
at making only enough splits to keep swarming down and then possibly split
most hives in middle July and get ready for almonds. July is out busiest
time of the year and executing my plan will take a bit of work ( and luck)
but I think worthwhile in the long run.


So there is definably a time to split the colony before the queen
> slows down her egg laying rate.

Studies are interesting but another might show the opposite.

my experience:

Feeding a thin syrup, room for a queen to lay ( several frames of empty
drawn comb) AND young queens will cause most hives to increase or at least
not reduce queen laying.

Many beekeepers doing pollination have figured the amount of syrup it takes
to * maintain* a strong hive ( max population two deep boxes) when a flow
stops till the next pollination a few weeks off. Usually a thin syrup feed
at around a half gallon a week.

An over abundance of bees in the hive ( after supers are pulled) , the brood
nest clogged with nectar and pollen and a stop in nectar coming in will
always shut a queen down.

 many beeks simply lift a top and look and all seems well. I always pull a
brood frame ( or two) when deciding on a course of action for winter. Open
nests up if possible.


After honey supers are removed in late summer ( example) and the queen is
shutting down and old forager bees are hanging on hive fronts many
commercial migratory beeks move hives in the middle of the day when the old
bees are flying. May sound cruel but the hives done this way will perk up
and start thinking about raising winter bees.

One you are talking many hives the above will mean big bucks in feed cost
savings.

In Missouri when the flow stops then the old forager bees start packing in
the pollen. We pull frame after frame. plugs the brood nest and the queen
shuts down. Many hives will die over winter if they try to cluster over
frames of pollen as the bees can not eat pollen and produce heat.

bob 

             ***********************************************
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

Access BEE-L directly at:
http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A0=BEE-L