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Spring Splits

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 11:15 am
by danalion
Both my 2 deep hives are full. They did well this winter. I had been planning on splitting them but it seems too early with the cold weather and lack of drones. I put a new deep on top to make them think they have more room. When can I split considering the cool weather and possible snow like last Mothers Day?

Re: Spring Splits

Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2016 11:02 am
by kristinahoney
Hi,
The mating weather for the new queen is the main issue now until Mothers' Day. You can get around this by purchasing a mated queen. That way you know she's not only mated but WELL mated. Go into your hives today - last chance for a while - and look for swarm cells. If they're capped, a swarm may have left already. You need to find your queen (not just eggs) before you remove any capped swarm cells. If you're seeing swarm cells of any kind, you need to do more than just add another box. See http://barnsleybeekeepers.org.uk/demaree.html for a great explanation of the Demaree. You can also put foundation/empty drawn comb on the edges of the brood nest (not in the middle). Good Luck! Gotta go.
Cheers,
Kristina Williams
Beehave LLC consulting and mentoring
Boulder, CO