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Offline Mosti

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failing split?
« on: March 23, 2015, 10:47:09 am »
I attempted my first split for this year a week ago. However I have not noted any bees working today. Opened it up... Queen still there, few nurse bees, unhatched brood...would you add house bees from the parent hive or would it create havoc?
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Online iddee

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2015, 10:56:30 am »
I would add, then check in 24 hours. If they killed the queen, I would recombine.
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Offline hamptor

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2015, 11:49:36 am »
I'm thinking of adding more bees to a split that I just did, but I'm going to put a sheet of newspaper between the super the bees are in on the bottom and the one above it along with some pollen/nectar/honey and let them eat through the newspaper and get use to each other a little slowly so there won't be fighting.
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Offline Jen

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2015, 12:27:30 pm »
So Hamptor, you have a split that is two hive boxes tall? am I getting that right?

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There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline hamptor

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2015, 02:30:04 pm »
I use 8 frame mediums.  I put the split (brood, pollen/nectar, honey, empty frames of pulled comb in the bottom and just set another super with 8 empty frames on top.   This queen has been prolific.  I want to give her plenty of room.
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Offline efmesch

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2015, 04:36:48 pm »
What do you think about the possibility of switching the positions of the two hives?
Field bees from the active hive would repopulate the inactive one when it goes into its position.  While the busy hive should be able to continue to manage itself.
The bees, even though they are from a "stranger" hive should not cause any havoc since they would be returning "innocently" carrying nectar and pollen with them and the inactive hive would probably be uninterested in defensive actions and too weak to start fighting with them.
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Offline pistolpete

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2015, 03:01:25 am »
When I'm mixing bees from different hives for Nucs, I give them a light mist with sugar syrup (not a drenching, just a light mist).  By the time they finish cleaning themselves and each other, they're best friends.
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Offline tecumseh

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2015, 07:08:18 am »
you might want to think about doing a paper combine over a well populated hive with a queen excluder.... add a frame feeder in the top box if you have one and feed just a little.... arrange to have the top entry pointed out the back side of the lower hive.  after about two weeks the populations in the two boxes should have somewhat equalized themselves and you can then separate them again
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Offline Mosti

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Re: failing split?
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2015, 08:10:04 am »
Problem is that other hives now have supers on. Fingers crossed the weather will give it a helping hand. It hasn't been bee friendly recently.
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