Bee biology - walk away splits?

[Michael Bush]

>I think I have decided that when I do split the hives I'll introduce a new mated queen and not try to raise a new one.  In my opinion this would take too long and I would lose valuable time during the flow. 

They are not in need of a queen during a flow, in fact they will produce more honey if they are queenless during the flow as it frees otherwise nurse bees to forage.

Having them raise a queen gives you local genetics rather than bees acclimatized to some other place.

[Michael Bush]

>when is the best time to split a hive? 

http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#earlysplit

I'd say the best time is two weeks before the flow... but only if you do a cutdown split.  Otherwise I would probably go earlier or later.

>During a full on flow?

During the flow can work, but two weeks before as a cutdown gives the best yield of honey while also giving you more bees.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#cutdown

[Finski]

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I do not know your climates and your flows out there but the best time make a nuc is when you may bye good local queens, which have good wintering qualities. New york has very different winter than in south
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I do not disturbe hives in main flow.
BUt after mainflow there is a month gap where bees die and nothing what they can do.
I may split a big hive  2+2 boxes and they start to rear winter bee brood, and it has no influence to honey yield.
However it is better to have small nucs ready to enlarge them with brood or with bees.

No one knows at least here what is best time but in time is a better idea than late or too early.

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