Just decided I am going it with out a kit.
I am going use the "Miller Method".
I have two new colonies that will be just about right to start with about mid may or June 1st.
I have plenty boxes, one 5 frame deep nuc, 3 five frame medium nuc's, 8 or 10 8 frame medium supers, 3 deep 8 frame boxes 8 or 10 deep 10 frame brood boxes.
All these extra pieces was aquired back when I had 15 colonies.
Sitting there doing nothing. Got to make some bottom boards and top covers.
The two colonies I am going to queen from are good honey producers and are gentle.
One is from the big swarm I got in April 2007, It took 4 boxes to hive it and I got two medium boxes of honey off it that same year. It swarmed last year and I split it and it swarmed again but I didn't get that one. It is the one that swarmed Sat, after I had split it. I hived it Sunday and it took two deeps and a medium to house it.
I had just got the boxes ready to use. About an hour or two after the swarm took the tree limb I noticed a couple dozen bees around it, Then noticed they were bringing pieces of wax and other small bits of foreign matter out of the box. Bingo, I told my Son they were cleaning it out for the swarm.
With in an hour they took it and are doing fine.
doak