Split from two hives?

[John Schwartz]

Hi gang,

Is it advisable/ok to pull 2-3 frames of brood/eggs from two hives and introduce purchased queen?

[Doby45]

You could pull brood frames from multiple hives.  But you want to leave the bees on one and shake the bees from the other and maybe even shake another frame of bees from the same hive that you left the bees on the frame.  Did that make sense?  You can mix the brood frames, just dont mix the bees.

[Brian D. Bray]

Hi gang,

Is it advisable/ok to pull 2-3 frames of brood/eggs from two hives and introduce purchased queen?

a good way to make a strong split or nuc is to take frames from several hives and introduce a queen.  You get a stronger nuc/split and it doesn't weaken the other hives to any great extent.  In June I'll be taking a frame from each of my 5 hives and making a walkaway split that will still have time to raise a queen, lay several rounds of brood, and build up enough to overwinter in 2-3 medium boxes.  Mixing frames from multiple hives creates confusion, and since brood frames are being used, by the time it gets sorted out it all just one happy hive.

If done in spring, I already have done 1 such split, you'll get harvest the 1st year and possibly avoid a swarm.  

If done twice a year, spring and summer, you can build up strong hives each time.  If you have 10 double deep, or equivalent, hives and you take 2 frames of brood from each hive you can make 2-3 strong splits in the spring, then in the summer, you now have 12-13 hives, and you repeat the process, you have 16-17 strong overwinterable hives come October.  It is a good way to do a consistant buildup of strong hives or earn extra dollars selling off your excess.

[John Schwartz]

You could pull brood frames from multiple hives.  But you want to leave the bees on one and shake the bees from the other and maybe even shake another frame of bees from the same hive that you left the bees on the frame.  Did that make sense?  You can mix the brood frames, just dont mix the bees.

Doby -- thx, makes good sense. :)

[John Schwartz]

a good way to make a strong split or nuc is to take frames from several hives and introduce a queen.  You get a stronger nuc/split and it doesn't weaken the other hives to any great extent.  In June I'll be taking a frame from each of my 5 hives and making a walkaway split that will still have time to raise a queen, lay several rounds of brood, and build up enough to overwinter in 2-3 medium boxes.

Brian -- would you have same concern about mixing bees mentioned above by Doby?

[Robo]

I've never had any issue mixing frames (with bees) to make nucs with caged queens.  Now if your moving a queen with one of the frames, that may be a different story.

[Michael Bush]

I'd go for three.  There is more confusion.  Leave the bees on the combs.  If you only do two, then smoke them moderately heavy to keep them from fighting.

[Doby45]

I am new to this aswell and have not seen every way to make splits so if these guys say mixing the bees is fine due to confusion roll on with it.  I just made about 150 splits and we followed the non mixing of live bees way.  The confusion method sounds just as good if not better and I will be doing it that way next time, less work. LOL