« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Ran across a situation and question about a split.  (Read 2959 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Yankee11

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1412
  • Thanked: 27 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Central Arkansas
Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« on: May 18, 2015, 09:24:46 pm »
Working my out yards yesterday. Came across a very crowded hive with 3 supers on it. Ran across some swarm cells and I know queen still in hive somewhere but could not find her. Bees on top of bees on top of bees.

So,

I grabbed a bottom board, deep and a top. I just split the 2 deeps. Added a 2nd deep to both hives.

Question,

If I left the queen in the original hive, are they still likely to swarm after splitting them in half like that and adding the room from the extra deep. I did checker board and put some brood and drawn comb in the upper deep. I did not tear down the queen cells thinking that just in case she has left they would have a new queen sooner.
Logged

Offline iddee

  • Administrator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6150
  • Thanked: 412 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Sophia, N. C.
Re: Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2015, 11:04:28 pm »
She will most likely swarm anyway. Once they prep, it's usually a sure thing she's going to go. Hopefully you got her moved. That's why I never destroy queen cells.
Logged
“Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
― Shel Silverstein

Offline Yankee11

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1412
  • Thanked: 27 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2015, 11:07:38 pm »
Maybe if I go back out tomorrow I might find her.,

I'll try and see.
Logged

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2015, 09:32:40 am »
Did you find her? What happened?
   My exp is much the same as Iddee posted. Once they decide to go there is not much that will stop them.
   I pulled several splits off of a hive, used all the queen cells for the splits, leaving a nucs worth of bees in a single box for the queen to rebuild from...  couple days later she swarmed, leaving a cup of bees in the hive..
Logged
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline riverbee

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 8924
  • Thanked: 410 times
  • Gender: Female
  • ***Forum Sponsor***
  • Location: El Paso Twp, Wisconsin
Re: Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2015, 01:27:20 am »
okay i will venture out here..this is what i was taught and i still follow this practice today to a certain degree yankee.
when i do a full divide, splitting totally in half i don't move the queen, i leave her in the original box. seems to work for me.  i don't checkerboard or do anything special, except add the 2nd deep.  good luck.

i know many say move the queen.........i never have.
Logged
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
Forum Sponsor

Offline robo

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 857
  • Thanked: 86 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Ramblings, Rants, & Ravings
  • Location: Scenic Catskill Mountains
Re: Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2015, 12:03:06 am »
With capped swarm cells, you should never assume the queen is still there unless you see her.   too many times people move or destroy queen cells and end up with a queenless hive.   The best way to deal with swarm cells in move the queen with a few frames of brood.   You break the swarming instinct this way.  The queen and moved bees are in a new location just like they swarmed and the original hive is queenless and believe she left in a swarm.   It also allow them to make more honey without brood to feed.   By removing/destroying swarm cells you are just fighting them and they will just make more.
Logged

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

Offline Yankee11

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1412
  • Thanked: 27 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Ran across a situation and question about a split.
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2015, 10:33:03 pm »
I always move the queen when I can find her and leave them 3 queen cells.

I just could not find her this time so I just took a chance and split the 2 deeps. I left the queen cells in tact in the original hive and made sure there were eggs in the box I moved.

Update, the box I moved pulled queen cells so I did not move the queen. (already hatched)

The original box that had the swarm cells-( the swarm cells have now hatched.)

So she swarmed, but good news she take many bees with her. Hive is still very full and beans and cotton are about 3 inches high.  :)
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »