>Hello all, > > I am a new beekeeper (1st time overwintering a colony) >and I have a question. I currently have the "standard" hive config- >uration of two deep supers per colony (only 1 hive, anyway). I use >medium depth supers for extraction. Would it hurt anything to >make two colonies from my one in the spring by splitting up my deeps >and making each colony one deep with one medium? I would, of course, >requeen the queenless half and wouldn't really expect much in the way >of surplus honey next year. I live in Grafton, Ohio, which is about >25 miles SW of Cleveland. I'd like to get another colony next year, >and this seems to be one of the cheapest ways to do it using equip- >ment I have on hand. Any advice would be appreciated!! > >Thanks, >Kevin Palm > Kevin, This is a perfectly reasonable thing to do, but as you mentioned, you should not expect surplus honey during next year, unless you have/get unusually fecund queens. Jeef