Splitting

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Vance G
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Splitting

Unread post by Vance G »

I really like the low maintenance splitting method in the diary! So elegant and so very fast and simple. If I can remember to do it the next time I need to use queens, my life will be easier.
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Colino
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Re: Splitting

Unread post by Colino »

Good Morning:
I don't understand this part.
then remove the excluder and insert a sheet of plastic, add a queen, add patties top and bottom, then close it up.
Do you mean you add patties on top of the plastic of the split and on top of the frames or below the plastic on top of the frames of the parent hive? :?
Narcissism is easy because it's me or I, Empathy is hard because it's they or them.-Colino
Allen Dick
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Re: Splitting

Unread post by Allen Dick »

I add them to both hives, the parent, below the plastic and the split above. The patties are soft and although they hump the frames up a bit, everything goes back down. That is the beauty of plastic pillows and plastic sheets and soft patties.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
51° 33'39.64"N 113°18'52.45"W
http://www.honeybeeworld.com/Allen%27s%20Beehives.kmz
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Colino
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Re: Splitting

Unread post by Colino »

Allen Dick wrote:I add them to both hives, the parent, below the plastic and the split above. The patties are soft and although they hump the frames up a bit, everything goes back down. That is the beauty of plastic pillows and plastic sheets and soft patties.
Thanks, I got it you're so kind. I checked the split today where the queen left for parts unknown and they have successfully re-queened themselves. I did not find her but there were eggs and some milk brood so I will give her a go for a while just to see if she'll be any good. Even though it was just a nuc box full of bees it appeared to be a really nice queen cell and I found one of the loser queens laying out front of the hive, she wasn't quite fully developed yet.
Narcissism is easy because it's me or I, Empathy is hard because it's they or them.-Colino
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karen
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Re: Splitting

Unread post by karen »

I am just finishing up splitting , 2 hives left they are kind of stray ones that ended up in nuc yards.

I can see such a difference in build up between queens. The winner is a daughter of a Joe Ladshaw Italian that filled 3 deep boxes with brood and bees. I took 8 frames of brood from that hive. I gave her back 6 drawn frames and 2 foundation so she can keep working for me.
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Re: Splitting

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Is this just an exceptional queen, or are you finding Joe's stock to all perform similarly?

I find that in any yard, some hives do amazingly well, while others are average or struggle. I have some hives that filled four boxes with bees while others were not even fully occupying one. I have no idea whether this is genetics or just plain luck and maybe something about the appearance or smell of the hive that attracts a few extra returning bees every day.

Using auger holes in every box makes a big difference in colony uniformity I find, and, regardless of what the books say, I don't find colour of boxes makes much difference in drifting. I tried to have every box the same colour, but gave up and, now, when I move boxes around, reverse, etc., I see some slight confusion, but it seems that the position of the box and the presence of that nice round hole trumps colour.

I have learned over the years that losing or gaining even a few foragers can make a huge difference in development of a colony. Splits set aside where they lose the flying bees stay a long way behind the others for a long time and sometimes never catch up. That is why side-by-side or splits on top do so much better than splits moved across the yard even a little.

With side-by-side and top splits, bees can be diverted to the less populated boxes by hiding or plugging the overly traveled entrances temporarily or for longer.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
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karen
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Re: Splitting

Unread post by karen »

I have no idea whether this is genetics or just plain luck and maybe something about the appearance
I have no idea either. I think it was just the right queen in the right yard at the right time. I am taking that to my home yard to graft from her. It is a funny yard as far as hive placement, three stands (I don't use palettes they rot fast), this stand is behind the others so you would think if anything the bees would go into the hives they need to fly past and those would be the strongest. All of the hives in this yard are strong, this hive out did itself.
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