Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: gguidester on April 18, 2009, 10:37:31 pm

Title: Spring has sprung!
Post by: gguidester on April 18, 2009, 10:37:31 pm
Wow what a day.  Spent a couple hours going through my 2 existing hives.  They set about 2 feet apart, and both were established with packages last spring.  East hive is full of bees, seemingly bursting at the seams.  Lots of capped brood, plenty of visable larva.  I don't see eggs well and did not locate the queen.  Although I think she must be doing her job to the nines.  Cleaned up a little burr comb between boxes, reversed the bodies.  Top body had a couple full frames of honey and honey on several combs of brood.  I think an outstanding find considering the long and cold winter.  Now for the west hive.  Much lighter boxes, some honey but not nearly as pretty and capped as well as the east hive.  Seemed to be about half the number of bees, although still a fair number I think, again considering the winter.  Here is my question.  Should I split the good hive, or just take 2 or 3 nice frames with bood and pollen and honey stores and give them to the other one?  If I choose to bolster the poor hive of the 2, how do I get the bees off, just brushing or will Bee Quick work on the deep bodies alright.  Do I just put the frames I remove from hive 2 into the places I take the good ones from?  I did see the queen in the west  hive and also quite a bit of drone comb all over the place in burr comb and between frames etc..
Thanks in advance for your help. Also have 2 packages coming nex week for new hives.
Title: Re: Spring has sprung!
Post by: TimLa on April 18, 2009, 10:49:18 pm
I'm still wondering if switching the hive bodies is a good idea.  I've heard a couple of folks mention it...