On Wed, 29 May 1996, Franklin D. Humphrey Sr. wrote: Franklin D. Humphrey Sr. wrote: FDH> I know of a hobbyist who winters 10 colonies and only 10 FDH> colonies each year. He winters in double brood chambers and FDH> splits each spring using queen cells or commercial queens as FDH> conditions require. He then recombines in the fall keeping FDH> the younger queen. ... Gordon Scott wtote: GS> In the south east of the UK, you'd say goodbye to at least half GS> your crop, as these days, much comes from oilseed rape which GS> flowers very early. Franklin D. Humphrey Sr. wrote: FDH> This is done about the 1st of April about 4 weeks before the FDH> main honey flow. When the honey flow starts, the colony is at FDH> full strength but not so crowed as to cause swarming. In my area, the oilseed rape (our cash crop) is up and running within about a week of our first full inspection in, say, early April and is over by mid to late May. So, often, is the swarming. Our next crop is usually much later. > So for us here, in the southern US, this method works very well > either for swarm control, or for making increase. Sorry, I didn't mean my post as a critisism of the method, just as a local observation. Regards, Gordon. -- Gordon Scott [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] (work) The Basingstoke Beekeeper (newsletter) [log in to unmask] <A HREF="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/apis">Embryo Home Page</A> Beekeeper; Kendo 3rd Dan; Sometime sailor. Hampshire, England.