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Author Topic: When to split a TBH  (Read 6447 times)

Offline Inquorate

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When to split a TBH
« on: October 29, 2013, 08:14:28 pm »
I'm in the Spring months, and at the beginning of Spring, purchased a Queen and 5kg bees in a package for two hives. When they were both at 8 top bars, I sent one hive to my Dad's place an hour west of sydney. His hive is at 12 bars, and mine is at 14 bars and a little busier (lots of Jacaranda trees flowering at my place but not yet flowering out west).

When is a good time to split a TBH? I am building another TBH for my Dad this week as he has identified a new feral hive (smaller, black bees) that we hope to cut out. I am left wondering if I should build 2, and split my hive. They seem to be going quite strong, and are more than twice the strength they were 4 weeks ago.

Should I leave them to do their thing for longer, or should I split them? In two weeks, they completely filled 2 empty bars I put in the brood area and the queen is laying very well, with a good mix of larvae sizes and young / old workers. There is 3 fingers of capped honey on most bars above the brood, but most of the pollen is near the entrance bar.
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." - George Bernard Shaw

Offline Inquorate

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2013, 05:42:06 pm »
No takers? I'll split the hive soon and let you all know how it goes.
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." - George Bernard Shaw

Offline charlie b

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2013, 08:25:35 pm »
I see your post has been read over 400 times and no advice. I'm surprised at that. I can't answer your question as of yet. I have built a TB Hive myself but have no bees in it. I too wonder when to split one. Here is a goo link for TB's and also where I purchased my plans to build what is called a Golden Mean Hive....http://www.backyardhive.com/ ..................Here's another on swarming, http://www.backyardhive.com/kb/All_about_swarming/....It you research this web site you will find very good info on TB's.....

Looking forward to hearing about your success.

Offline Inquorate

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2013, 01:36:45 am »
Thanks for the links. I'll be splitting one hive and leaving the other one. We'll know in a few months which was a better plan. ATM I am still building the new TBH's, It'll take another week as I have a bad back but I'll keep you posted.
"People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." - George Bernard Shaw

Offline charlie b

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #4 on: November 07, 2013, 09:02:37 am »
Very interested in your upcoming experience Inquorate. Again, I have one TB I'm putting bees in next year. Not to long after, I'm going to requeen it to start with my raising of a Lake Superior bee that will be genetically adapted to this region. Along with my TB I also have Langs. Will be building more TB's myself so learning as much as I can now, before I get totally into it.

Offline merince

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2013, 09:58:43 am »
It really depends whether you want the hive to raise it's own queen or whether you are supplying a queen.

If you have a laying queen on hand, then anytime really. If you want to raise your own, the easiest is to wait until you see them starting to build swarm cells. Then grab the queen and a frame of brood for a new split, let the big hive cap the cells. Once capped, you can continue splitting with a cell and a frame or 2 of brood or cut off all the cells except the 2 best ones and let them raise the new queen.

If you don't want to wait until cells are started, leave the original queen with the smaller split as stronger hives raise better queens.

Offline charlie b

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2013, 11:35:26 am »
In my  case Merince, I am ordering a box from the bee club here and they come from CA. I want to replace that queen in my TB with a "Sooper Yooper Queenbee" from Mich. which has overwintered two winters and start with her.....http://ziaqueenbees.com/index.htm

Other wise, once I get going with my Langs and TB's, I intend to use your advice in future splits as I want my Lake Superior Bees to Re-Queen them selves and start new hives on their own.

With my Langs next yr., I ordered nucs from a local beek and will see how his queens do. If not so good, I will do that same. Re-Queen.

Thanks again Merince

Offline Joe D

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2013, 11:41:30 am »
I just noticed your post, sorry.  I would agree with merince.  And I try to have several hives ready to use, you never know when you may catch a swarm.  Back a couple of years ago I catch 7 swarms in a week.  Ran out of hives, had 2 more swarms to get called another beek that had lost some of his bees and gave them to him.  Good luck to you and your bees.



Joe

Offline HomeSteadDreamer

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Re: When to split a TBH
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2014, 11:23:41 pm »
I've split a TBH but I only did it because they were building queen cells and were running out of room.  The queen in that hive was a good layer so I split it and let one of the cells hatch out.  It worked.  Don't remember how many bars they had built out but it was quite a few probably about 15-18 I only took 4-6 bars for the split put them in a smaller 'nuc'.

 

anything