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Offline bee-nuts

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want to make splits
« on: July 03, 2009, 06:05:17 am »
Ok Beeks I need some opinions.  I really, really, really want to make some splits.  My situation is defiantly not a typical one.  I have three hives that swarmed and have new laying queens and brood.  I have a queen source lined up with new world carniolans for the middle july if I wish.  I want to take one of these hives with three deeps and make three hives out of it.  One with existing queen, and two with new queens.  I am thinking of splitting up brood frames between the three boxes, making sure there is honey, pollen, brood and open drawn comb in all.  I would put a queen excluder between each box so when it comes time to split I can easily tell which one has the queen in it.  I would try to do this about 5 to 6 days before queen arivals.  Then make splits, moving boxes for new queens to new location and introduce queens the following morning.  I would move hives back after two weeks because I should have good nectar and pollen in my current site until the end of September or later.

I have no wishes for honey out of these colonies, only that they survive winter and make a crop next year.  My real ambition is to learn, try the carniolan race of bees, and apiary growth.  I dont mind feeding sugar water for a couple of weeks either if needed.

If this sounds like the dumbest Idea you have ever heard and has no chance for success then just say so.  If there is a better way, then how?

I read this on beesourse.

Bee Culture – May, 2005

Hans-Otto Johnsen (Norway)

Quote

''In June at the earliest, when I have new laying queens, I make my main number of new colonies. Most of them could be described as artificial swarms. The goal is to have about 200-250 new colonies going into winter. If I succeed in making 250 colonies that all survive and no additional colonies of the old ones fail, I will increase the number of colonies by 150. But this will not be the case as some additional ones will fail of the old for different reasons, and some of the new ones will fail. Hopefully I will increase somewhat.

Artificial swarms and splits
The artificial swarms are made without brood frames and only with new foundation and a new laying queen. They are placed in a new apiary of their own with no old colonies. Now they just have to grow until autumn and be wintered. They will make good production colonies next season.

Some of the new colonies will be made later in the season due to a lack of newly mated queens. As you may understand I have to adjust to a very short and intense season and have to be somewhat flexible due to circumstances. Some new colonies will get a ripe queen cell, not a laying queen.

New colonies which I make later in season will have a number of brood frames, more the later they are done. It’s all about availability of queens how many of each type of new colonies are made. We don’t have easy to get big batches of new laying queens in Norway. Especially not of the breed I work with."

End Quote

It sounds like it should work?

The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

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Offline homer

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Re: want to make splits
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2009, 12:38:47 pm »
I started out the year doing exactly what you are wanting to do, but I did it with a hive that was only 2 deep.  I still split it into 3 hives and it has worked out really well for me so far.  I don't see any flaws in what you are trying to do.  However, I don't know that it's completely necessary to move your hives away from the old location and then move them back.  I didn't and all went well with mine.  If you notice that one of the hives is weaker than the others, just swap locations with a strong on and it will get returning foragers from that hive and help to boost its numbers.

Offline snmyork

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Re: want to make splits
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2009, 04:54:49 pm »
Homer

Do you know what book mentions swapping the hives in it? I have heard it before from another bee keeper in my area and would like to read about it. I have thought about being able to boost a weak hives number this way.

snmyork

Offline homer

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Re: want to make splits
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2009, 06:16:32 pm »
Homer

Do you know what book mentions swapping the hives in it? I have heard it before from another bee keeper in my area and would like to read about it. I have thought about being able to boost a weak hives number this way.

snmyork

I don't know of any books that specifically talk about this, but I've used it quite a bit and it works wonders.

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: want to make splits
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2009, 08:45:03 pm »
I found a queen cell in one hive Friday and made a nuc with it.  Bad video but you can see it on you tube by searching moeshoneybeevideos.  I hope I put enough bees in it.  I was worried that I would put the queen in it so I only put a little over a frame with brood, some honey, some pollen, and some frames with foundation.  I moved the hive about five miles away to keep what field bees that were in it with the hive.  I was in this hive the previous sunday and did not see the queen cell so I'm assuming it was just built and capped so I believe it will bee a little over a week before it hatches.  I will go in it in about a week to see if it has emerged or to confirm that the cell is still intact and if the queen was mistakenly in it.  I also put an excluder between the two deeps that were left on the existing hive to isolate the queen and make another nuc.  Hopefully they will not swarm on me again.

I also found a few queen cell cups in a hive today.  There were no eggs in them.  Should I scrape them off or keep an eye on them and take measures to prevent them from swarming once they use them.  Is a double screen board with queen cells moved above a viable way to stop a swarm.  I read that It can work.
The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson

Offline homer

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Re: want to make splits
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2009, 11:42:19 pm »
Don't ever destroy queen cells.  You have to assume the the bees know what they are doing.  If you removed a queen cell to stop a swarm, that won't work.  The best way that I know of is to remove the queen into a nuc with a few frames of brood and bees and honey and move them.  That might (emphasis on the "might") trick them into thinking they've swarmed.  Then you've got yourself a ready made nuc or you have a spare queen for the future.

Offline bee-nuts

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Re: want to make splits
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2009, 04:17:10 am »
The reason I asked about scraping off the queen cups is because I read in a book authored by Roger A. Morse (at least I think it was that book) that if you scrape off queen cups before an egg is in them you can sometimes stop the swarm urge but once there is eggs in them you will rarely stop the urge.  However the book is over ten years old and is one opinion.

I did not scrape off the queen cups.

As far as the nuc I made and weather it would have any effect on swarming really had no influence on my decision to make it.  I just could not resist finding out if I could make a viable nuc with it and the fact that it is so large and healthy looking to me. 

I am curios however because there are drone cells around it.  Is it possible for the bees to mistake a drone for a female and try to make a queen with it.  I feared this when I made the nuc but thought at the same time it has to be a queen cell.

Yeah, I really have no idea what the heck I'm doing but I figure without trying stuff, Ill never learn. 

Also, if you read this check out my videos on you tube.  Search moeshoneybeevideos and you will see my videos.  I have published them for one reason only and that is to help show what I'm talking about.  I would never publish them otherwise.  You veteran beeks should at least get a good laugh anyway.  There short vids.  Take a look.
The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory

Thomas Jefferson