Earlier, Peter pointed out that largest colonies, although they do tend to 
produce better crops than smaller ones, are not necessarily, pound for 
pound, the best producers.  This interesting observation leads me to 
ponder then “What is the optimum number of frames one can give to a split 
in spring?”  Imagine one has unlimited number of frames to make splits 
with; what will be the optimum number of frames?  As I ponder this 
question, I realize the various responses will depend on the time of 
split, the strain, the level of feeding, the intensity of localized flow, 
and the weather condition, among others.  

For example, a three- or four-frame split, under heavy-feeding, with drawn 
combs given, will make about a super of surplus ideally around here, give 
or take, but that’s just too labor intensive for the relatively small 
return.  On the other hand, two splits made out of two deeps (10 frames 
each) don’t always outperform say, seven to eight-frame splits.  I have 
not yet tried anything beyond ten-frame splits, however.  What happens 
when you make, say, fifteen-frame splits?  

Typically I make splits for the following year, a delayed investment, 
knowing that it takes about two years for the splits to produce surplus as 
they must survive the first winter on their own since I do not feed the 
larger splits—-anything beyond seven frames.  Invariably, during the first 
year of split, they store up enough to survive the winter, but not enough 
for me to rob.  (Given the sugar price, I do not want to feed them)  Under 
these conditions, thus, I must feed late swarm-captures in my area, 
nevertheless. 

Obviously, to maximize the flow, we need the maximum number of foragers 
just before the flow although I would prefer my bees to peak during the 
flow, not before.  The “spring-thinned” parent colonies, with older queens 
(a year or two) tend to swarm after the flow in my operation, typically 
during the heat of late July, which I find interesting, because these 
swarms must rely on goldenrod and aster, two very unreliable nectar 
producers in my area, and in the south, goldenrod blooms are not as heavy 
as in the north.

Yoon

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