# spliting into MPs nucs



## Daznz (Oct 18, 2014)

When spliting a 2 framer into the nucs do leave the top nucs off until they build up a little


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Yes, usually 10 days to 2 weeks.


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## Daznz (Oct 18, 2014)

Have you done one framers into these with good results?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

One framers-two framers....Do you mean starting a nuc with one or two frames of brood? 

I've never started nuclei with only one frame of brood. I don't think I would. If I wanted to use fewer resources, I would use two frames partially filled with brood...enough to get the queen accepted.

I think A.I. Root said it best.....Nothing new under the Sun, eh?.....


Root, A. I., ABC of Bee Culture, 1891, A. I. Root Co.

Nucleus, This word, applied to bee culture, signifies a small swarm of bees, perhaps from one-fourth to one-tenth of a full colony. p. 204

If we are to have this [a] quart of bees work to the best advantage, something depends upon the sort of hive they are domiciled in. A single comb, long and narrow, so as to string the bees out in one thin cluster, is very bad economy. Two combs would do very much better, but three would be a great deal better still. It is like scattering the firebrands widely apart; one alone will soon go out; two placed side by side will burn quite well; and three will make quite a fire. It is on this account that I would have a nucleus of three, instead of one or two frames. The bees seem to seek naturally a space between two combs; and the queen seldom goes to the outside comb of a hive, unless she is obliged to for want of room. p. 205

If desired, two nuclei can be put in one hive, by using a tight division-board, and making the entrances at either end. Of course, when we use hives with a division-board between two colonies, great care should be used in making the division-board tight. I do not know how many failures have resulted from having the board shrink or warp, and thus let the bees through. p. 206

A sheet of enameled cloth, hemmed at the side and ends, is made to lie over the frames, as in the large hives, but the cover is made to shut over the hive. 
p. 206

If you will examine the bees at the approach of frosty weather, you will see, from the way in which they draw up and condense, how their combs need to be proportioned. To have them stand the rigors of severe winter weather, they should fill their hives as nearly as possible, and there should be no cold, unfilled spaces, either at the ends or underneath the cluster. If their hive is so full that bees are standing in the doorway, even during severe cold weather, we need have little fear of their suffering. p. 204-205


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

I've tested A.I.R.'s theory on that one. Early in the season this year I took several 1 frame splits from hives that had swarm cells just to get extra queens without affecting the flow too much. In ALL cases each frame was covered in bees and was capped brood within a week of emergence starting. These were put into a Queen castle set up with just plain foundation frame next to them " 10 Frame box split into 4 - 2 framer's". Although the queen did fly out and mate up, there were not sufficient bees to draw new comb on the foundation, nor really build up. So after seeing that the queens were not laying heavily, they ended up in another box 5 framer with each being given 2 extra frames of brood/bees each. After being given those frames of brood/bees each colony then flourished and drew new wax, built up, and the queens turned into egg laying machines. Going into this fall shut down each of these colonies now are ready to winter, however they would have surely perished if I'd left them as 1 framer's trying to build on their own.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

I think Root nailed it. :thumbsup: That is good writing.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

It's all about resources.
I sometimes make a 1 frame split...leave 1 frame behind if I'm moving a Colony during the day. The one fre of bees plus the forgers from the old hive will usually produce a good queen and thrive.


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## Daznz (Oct 18, 2014)

Great writing, cheers for your info


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## McBee7 (Dec 25, 2013)

If you take your 2 frames of brood and bees (healthy) and put them (both) into a 4 or 5 frame box and wait 3 or 4 weeks you will blow the top off the box and you can either add the 2nd box or split. If you include a drawn frame comb, the queen can start laying in it immediatly and in 3 weeks the bee bomb will start going OFF...If you include a feeder in the box for a week or 2 that will encourage them to draw comb....I think you are on the right track but just 3or 4 weeks ahead, especially as your summer solstice is about 6 to 8 weeks away (??? I think) I made some 2 frame splits this year about 2 weeks before our solstice and in 2 weeks I had to add a box and in 2 more weeks I made 5more splits from the original 10 splits I made....It was a good year and maybe I was lucky, But MAN did the bees ever take OFF..
JMHO 

==McBee7==


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