# Advice from Norcal people - Thinking of splitting this weekend



## knute (Mar 10, 2013)

All beekeeping is local... If you are well past the danger of frost, plants are blooming & nectar is flowing, you see some drones walking around in your hives, and your hives are strong enough to split, then you're in splitting season.

Further south of you here on the SF peninsula, I did my first splits of the season at the end of February, and now the painfully long wait to find how well they mated. 

Good luck to you!

-Knute


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Middle March is _usually_ a good time here.


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## Norcalkyle (Apr 23, 2015)

Thanks for the repsonses


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

With the weather now and what's forecast, then I'd say splitting is great right now if you hive or hives are strong enough to do so.


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## jbraun (Nov 13, 2013)

I don't live in your area any longer. That being said I'll repeat the advice I received from Michael Bush 4 years ago. His bench mark is 8 frames of brood and drones in the hive. I live in Missouri and our swarm season starts April Fools day. 

Also we have our queens ordered from Glenn, Ca and will receive them on 4/12/17. So that's what's happening in the Valley.

Ray gave you good advice as usual.


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## larryh (Jul 28, 2014)

What's in the boxes?
Some of mine are for sure behind where they were this time last year.. I do have drones flying, and a couple are really strong. I made one split.
Gonna wait a couple weeks for any others.


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## baybee (Jan 10, 2016)

Are the bees just starting to bring enough sulplus nectar to put in supers in the Peninsula? Does it look like this year nectar flow is a month or so (if not more) late compared to the last year, even though some blossoms a few weeks early? Just trying to understand, as a beginner, if my bees need to be fed.

Are the Peninsula Coast hives even capable of producing their own laying queens in new splits? My hive raised two new queens one after another last summer, but they never started laying. I chalked it up to cool temps (never higher than 72F and very rarely above 68F daytime) and frequent summer afternoon ocean breezes (sometimes 15-20 mph) often with fogs. Springs are not as windy but still cool. Sorry about hijacking the thread but have been wondering about the issue for a while.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

My weather forecast says rains next week. But, if you split this weekend, it'll be 21 days before the queen goes for mating flights, and the rains are forecast to be over by then. And, it'll be into the and of the first week of April also.

March 21 is spring equinox, that is when swarming and matings really get to going, through the middle to end of may. After that, they start slowing down here in California valley. I find the best times to raise queens, at least for me here, is middle of March through the end of May or first week of June. 

_If you have hive strength_, it should be fine to split this weekend with walk away split.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

baybee said:


> Are the bees just starting to bring enough sulplus nectar to put in supers in the Peninsula? Does it look like this year nectar flow is a month or so (if not more) late compared to the last year, even though some blossoms a few weeks early? Just trying to understand, as a beginner, if my bees need to be fed.
> 
> Are the Peninsula Coast hives even capable of producing their own laying queens in new splits? My hive raised two new queens one after another last summer, but they never started laying. I chalked it up to cool temps (never higher than 72F and very rarely above 68F daytime) and frequent summer afternoon ocean breezes (sometimes 15-20 mph) often with fogs. Springs are not as windy but still cool. Sorry about hijacking the thread but have been wondering about the issue for a while.


For me, the middle of June through the middle of September is the hardest time of year to raise queens. So maybe timing was part of the problem for you last year. I am quite sure that queens can be raised in your area just fine. It could also have been issues within the hive, or issues with birds or dragonflies eating your queens on their mating flights.

Knowing when to feed means looking inside the hive and seeing what stores of nectar, honey, and pollen are in there, as well as gauging the amount of brooding happening with all those open hungry mouths to feed. Also weighing in on the issue of feeding is how much comb needs to be drawn, and when is the nectar flows so as not to have sugar water honey stored along with real honey. The timing and the knowing will come over time observing your hives in your area.

Good luck to you this year.


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## baybee (Jan 10, 2016)

Thanks Ray! Yes, will be checking the stores and looking for the signs of the spring nectar flow.


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## tanksbees (Jun 16, 2014)

baybee said:


> Thanks Ray! Yes, will be checking the stores and looking for the signs of the spring nectar flow.


I just added a 4th box to most of my hives today. The flow has been on for a while now.

Swarm season is starting right now.

Are you in the bee guild?

Mark


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

It is never too early when you see drones flying around. Just saw the first carni drone emerged today. Too bad
this is my production hive for the honey harvest. Will be making graft queens soon so no splitting for a while.
Gradually rebuilding my hive numbers now.


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