> Then maybe the shook swarm approach is easiest and best, more efficient?

I don't think that the easiest is necessarily the best, unless you are only looking for ease. The best would be the method that produces the most return for the labor. 

To me this is the best: *shake the bees off the brood* you want to take -- using judgement as to how much to take (depends on colony size, weather, time of year, etc.). 

Put the brood over a queen excluder, either over the brood donor colony or any other colony that can afford to donate bees. In a day or two, the brood will be covered with young bees and can be used to boost hives, make nucs, or strong divides. 

If the splits are reasonably strong they can raise their own queens. Adding queens or Q-cells is obviously a better idea, if you have the resources. Charlie Mraz used to recommend making splits from the best hives and letting them requeen themselves.

PLB

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