Stewart Beattie, Cumbria, UK. writes;
 
>I use my Tarnoff board quite a lot it is a useful tool to have for
>splitting young bees and the queen from old bees. Its easy to make a
>board the width of the hive, fixed at an angle on a base board sloped as
you
>would hive a swarm. Set it back from the hive entrance by about 100mm
>(4 inches ) shake the bees of the frames on to the board. The old bees
>will fly into the hive leaving a cluster under the board of old bees and
 
>the queen. Easy way to artificially swarm a stock that has queen cells.
>also I use it to obtain young bees to stock mini-nuc boxes ...
 
 
Stewart, please say that again.  I can't imagine how this Tarnoff board
is fitted to the hive? or bottom board?  The board sounds like a quick
method to 'shake' bees for early spring splits.
 
Rick Leber, Beekeeping Since 1987
Mobile, Alabama  U.S.A.