# Success Story



## KellyW (May 16, 2020)

I am new to beekeeping having purchased my first nuc in March, 2020. We have learned a lot and having fun.

I wanted to do a split of the one hive but only recently felt confident to do so. Knowing that conditions and timing for splits are different around the country (all beekeeping is local), I decided to take the chance and try a walk-away split. I figured I would learn from a success or failure. Being in the extreme north end of the Sacramento Valley in California, we are hot, dry, low humidity and typically a lingering autumn season. It isn't unusual for the weather to not feel wintery until after Thanksgiving. I knew the weather would hold for the split but was uncertain about a new queen getting mated. Below are the notes from the split: .....

8/25/2020 --- Took 2 frames brood/eggs/larvae, 2 frames food resources, one frame partially drawn foundation, one shake nurse bees, from my one hive.
Frames were put in a plastic Pro-Nuc box with modified entrance (see photos)
Installed one Apivar strip between the 2 brood frames
Added 1/2 of a pollen patty on top of frames and fed 1:1 sugar syrup via the opening provided in the Pro-Nuc.

8/28 ----------Checked the brood frames and saw at least 3 queen cells with larvae and royal jelly.
Starting to feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

9/2 -----------Observed foragers taking pollen in

9/7 ----------- Pulled one frame and saw a queen cell with the side chewed out and a dead queen inside. Quickly closed the nuc.

9/8 -----------Nuc getting robbed. I placed a wet beach towel over the nuc and put my hose-end lawn sprinkler "raining" on the nuc. The frenzy stopped within 1/2 hour and all was good by dusk.
I have since wondered if this robbing activity was something else related to having a new queen in the hive?????

9/24 ---------Checked nuc this morning and see lots of eggs and larvae. Yeah!!!! 
Also, lots of bee bread and nectar/syrup as well as capped honey/syrup.


Now a question. When the brood starts emerging I will need to be moving the colony into a 10 frame deep. Should I wait for them to be crowded (emerging) or do it now? Also, the move from nuc to deep will be about 4 feet. Is that far enough to create problems? See photos. The deep box would go on the concrete blocks to the right of the nuc.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Congratulations;

Such a positive experience! I dont think the bees will have any trouble finding the new digs but from the looks of the setup you could start moving the nuc from the base of the tree, a foot or two at a time towards the blocks. The tree is probably their main visual but that close smell would probably do the trick. With some consideration to possible robbing of a small colony, I would make the transition the least disruptive for them.

I moved one about 10 feet sideways and back to the other row of colonies about a week ago, but I did it over the course of three days.


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## KellyW (May 16, 2020)

Frank, thanks for the comments and suggestions. I will do as you suggest and start moving the nuc closer to the final location a little at a time.


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