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Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: electroman277 on April 13, 2014, 08:02:46 am

Title: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 13, 2014, 08:02:46 am
I made my first split yesterday. I took some brood, honey, and a queen cell and place them in a new hive. I placed the new hive where the original hive was to get the foragers. I moved the old hive and queen to a new location and placed something different in front of the entrance. With this being my first split I hope everything goes well. This should be called bee hoping!  :laugh: I will try to get pictures soon.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Perry on April 13, 2014, 08:12:39 am
Well done!  :goodjob:
Was this a purchased cell, or was the hive getting ready to throw a swarm?
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: tbonekel on April 13, 2014, 08:47:04 am
Excellent! I hope to do my first ever split in a few weeks.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 13, 2014, 09:20:00 am
Was this a purchased cell, or was the hive getting ready to throw a swarm?
[/quote]

Perry- This was a hive that was getting crowded and creating a queen cell. I decided to split them to try and avoid a swarm. Hope I did it correctly.   :no: :yes:
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Perry on April 13, 2014, 09:23:36 am
Moving the queen was the right move. As long as you didn't take any queen cells with her you should be OK.  :yes:
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 13, 2014, 09:27:36 am
Perry- I don't think there was another cell but, I will look again this afternoon.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: G3farms on April 13, 2014, 11:37:33 am
Sounds like you did a good job.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 13, 2014, 12:37:46 pm
Sounds like a perfectly executed Artificial Swarm. Well done!
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 13, 2014, 09:35:08 pm
Well not sure what to do here. I went to observe the split this afternoon and I saw some of the bees for the mother hive robbing from the split hive. Not sure what to do. I may move the mother hive to a different location tomorrow evening. I am at a loss here. Any advise is greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Jen on April 13, 2014, 10:03:54 pm
Shut down the hive that is being robbed. Like tuck a blanket in and around it or Screen all entrances. Then get a robbing screen. I did that last year and it was great. I'll get the website of the robbing screen that I purchased. But for now, tonight and tomorrow, protect the weeker hive.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Woody Roberts on April 13, 2014, 10:08:26 pm
The problem is the nuc has no guard bees yet and the mother hive bees smell just like them.

Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Jen on April 13, 2014, 10:09:23 pm
This is the robbing screen I purchased, however, there are probably some quick make shift robbing screens on youtube that would get you by until you get a screen.

http://www.countryrubes.com/instructions/robbingscreens.html
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 13, 2014, 10:11:17 pm
Good advice.
   If its warm there screens will be better to allow continued ventilation. Move the mother hive and put the new hive in the location the mother hive used to be. the foragers will return to the weaker hive and the main hive will be elsewhere for a time.
   The new hive will get itself sorted out with guard bees and new brood etc..  then in a couple weeks move the mother hive back and put IT in a new location.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: riverbee on April 14, 2014, 12:14:10 am
hey bruce..... :D err, alias electroman! .... :D

how did you do your divide? you said " I took some brood, honey, and a queen cell and place them in a new hive."
was this a 4 or 5 frame nuc or a 10 deep with the queen cell?  do you have an entrance reducer on?  close it down to the smallest opening/and or use a robbing screen.

"I saw some of the bees for the mother hive robbing from the split hive. Not sure what to do. I may move the mother hive to a different location tomorrow evening. I am at a loss here. Any advise is greatly appreciated."

my method of madness, it's not the mother hive that needs to be moved, it's the split hive you made. but i have the luxury of moving hives 2 to 3 miles or 60 miles and do so when i do divides sometimes, especially 5 frame nucs, or with light divides i have done just to keep hives from swarming, and those with queen cells.  these tend to be weaker, and do not have the guard force to fight off other stronger hives.  not sure i made sense here?
if i didn't it's cuz it's my method of madness...... :D

ps congrats it's how we learn!
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 14, 2014, 12:27:00 am
Good questions Mrs. River.
   The smaller hive is easier and more convenient to move. I was thinking more in terms of strengthening the smaller hive after some stressful robbing with the foragers returning to the new hive.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 14, 2014, 08:49:51 pm
Mrs. River- I placed the frames in a new 10 frame deep. I had a reducer on the entrance but I placed a make shift robbing screen on this evening. I took some hardware screen and made a small entrance and ran it up the front a piece.

Lazy- If the screen doesn't work I will be relocating the smaller hive to another corner of the yard.

Everyone thanks for the input. I will try just about anything once. The ole redneck saying is "Hey Bubba watch this" and the family motto is "If you're gonna be dumb you gotta be tough"  8)
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 14, 2014, 09:45:38 pm
Mrs. River- I placed the frames in a new 10 frame deep. I had a reducer on the entrance but I placed a make shift robbing screen on this evening. I took some hardware screen and made a small entrance and ran it up the front a piece.

Lazy- If the screen doesn't work I will be relocating the smaller hive to another corner of the yard.

Everyone thanks for the input. I will try just about anything once. The ole redneck saying is "Hey Bubba watch this" and the family motto is "If you're gonna be dumb you gotta be tough"  8)

   around here its. "HEY! Hold my beer and watch this!"   And I grew up with the "If your gonna be dumb you gotta be tuff." from my father...   So were on the same page  ;D

   Good choice, let us know how it works!!!
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Dunkel on April 14, 2014, 09:50:48 pm
I am finding that I'm smart enough to know how dumb I am.  Dad always said  "Ignorance Is Bliss."
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: riverbee on April 15, 2014, 01:06:34 pm
hey electro, keep us posted!  ps like the new avatar!

and lazy, sheesh look what you started, now you have electro calling me MRS RIVER..... :D
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 15, 2014, 01:11:47 pm
hey electro, keep us posted!  ps like the new avatar!

and lazy, sheesh look what you started, now you have electro calling me MRS RIVER..... :D

      :laugh:
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 15, 2014, 01:31:40 pm
Mrs River- Sorry it is a habit of mine. I found the avatar and thought everyone might like it. I would be glad to keep you posted on my fumbles.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: riverbee on April 15, 2014, 05:01:41 pm
LOL!!!
i only get that from telemarketers.....now you two guys have others started, i received a pm calling me mrs......... :D

do like the avatar, but i did like bruce too, and we all love to read about everyone's fumbles, then we don't feel so bad ourselves....... :D
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 15, 2014, 05:08:50 pm
hehe, Yep!  Us idiots love company!!!    :laugh:
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 15, 2014, 09:18:18 pm
Just hang around a while. I will make you feel like Einstein.
By the way I am not cool enough to be Bruce.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: riverbee on April 16, 2014, 12:44:18 pm
........ :D
dunno about that, i'm the einstein that volunteers to move beehives and pigs in the back of a smelly buick............ :D
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 16, 2014, 01:32:31 pm
Hollywood can make anyone look good.

   Try taking down a swarm box from a ladder, 300 yards from your truck, in the dark while its drizzling..
   The bees had been in the box about a week and I needed to get it down, this was my first chance to do it..  Wife flat out refused to go hold the light for me...
   As I took the last screw out, the ladder slid, either on the ground or the tree. I don't remember consiously thinking about what had happened...  I hit the ground, the box fortunately (?) hit the ladder before landing on my head...   No, I hadn't screened it yet, the screen and stapler were still in the truck...
   What a mess.. I received about a dozen stings. I expected more..  the comb was mostly broken and a lot of bees were mashed. I did find the queen alive, and managed to save them with a couple frames of brood from other hives...  I had a bruise on the side of my head that looked ugly.. It was quite fun telling everyone I mouthed off to my wife and got smacked....
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 16, 2014, 06:01:09 pm
OK Since this is my first split I have a wookie ( :P) question. How long after the Queen cell is capped does it take for her to hatch? How long after hatching does it take for her to mate?
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: iddee on April 16, 2014, 06:24:04 pm
Day 1... egg is layed

Day 9... The cell is capped.

Day 16... The queen emerges.

Day 19 to day 30, the queen mates.

Day 21 to day 35, the queen lays.
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on April 23, 2014, 02:48:38 pm
Update on my first split.
I checked this morning and found a beautiful hatched queen.  ;D Waiting on the matting flight to happen. I didn't have a camera with me for pictures sorry :'(
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: LazyBkpr on April 23, 2014, 03:19:11 pm
WHere is the unknown Cheff?? Someone needs a spankin for no camera syndrome!!!   >:(      :laugh:
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: electroman277 on May 07, 2014, 07:21:32 am
The new queen. Sorry I could only get the bottom half of her.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs21.postimg.cc%2F88kqc6jf7%2Fthe_new_queen.jpg&hash=62610f60e58d897baaaeb9582a730b05000df6c6) (http://postimg.cc/image/88kqc6jf7/)
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: Jen on May 07, 2014, 10:45:03 am
YA! Especially these days when you can get a camera the size of a credit card for pete's sake!

Have Bees Get Camera!!
Title: Re: My first split
Post by: efmesch on May 07, 2014, 01:46:58 pm
 
The new queen. Sorry I could only get the bottom half of her.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs21.postimg.cc%2F88kqc6jf7%2Fthe_new_queen.jpg&hash=62610f60e58d897baaaeb9582a730b05000df6c6) (http://postimg.cc/image/88kqc6jf7/)
You got the part that counts!   She looks like she's already mated and has great potential. :)