# Starting out with a Split



## skunklovin (Apr 6, 2015)

I've officially entered the beekeeping world as of yesterday! I got a medium super full of bees from my neighbor's (a few houses down) split. I know splits are not a conventional way to start, and am wondering if anyone here has tried it? Could you provide some pointers if you have? I did not see the queen when I moved the frames into my super, nor did we see her in my neighbor's boxes, but we didn't do a thorough inspection. My box has eggs so if I am queenless, they should make their own. My current configuration is: cover/medium 10 frame super of bees (mostly capped brood, some open brood, some eggs, some pollen, tiny bit of honey)/deep 10 frame super with empty plasticell frames/screened bottom board/entrance reducer in place with smallest hole/a few small sprigs of brush covering the front of the hive for orientation purposes.

Should I flipflop the full medium super of bees with the empty deep super? I understand they _should _build down, and I don't want them to waste a lot of energy traveling down through the empty deep super to get out. The thinking was they would have to travel over the empties (sprayed with sugar water, with HBH mixed in) to entice them to start building there, esp. if there was only 1 way out. Again, I am concerned with the energy loss, and whether or not they will figure out their only available space is down. What do you think?

Considering we did the split around 4pm and not at dusk, there should mostly only be house bees in there, right? And they will figure out soon enough that some house bees need to graduate to field bees soon? And as such, I shouldn't be concerned with the fact I'm only seeing a couple bees fly out since opening the hole this morning until this field bee population builds up? 

I was hoping to feed them till their population builds. Was originally thinking of my small boardman feeder, but from what I've read, and outside feeder, with HBH (bee crack), in a brand new small defenseless colony is a recipe for robbing. So will probably do the inside baggie feeder. I have a shim with an small entrance I can use to offset the baggie-would you suggest I use it in between the supers? And should I keep that entrance open for them to get to their brood easier (and they won't have to travel as far) or are fewer entrances better till they get settled in?

Any and all thoughts appreciated on my initial foray into the enchanting world of bees-thank you in advance!


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I would feed 1:1 syrup internally using a baggie feeder or when warm enough thru the cover. Do not be shuffling and sorting, it is just not necessary. Your split will apparently need to raise a queen. Stay out and let that happen! Good luck.


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

Like Vance says, stay out and let them raise the queen. Takes 13 days from date of split if they had appropriate larva, 16 days if they wait on eggs. Give them about 28 to 30 days prior to getting in there messing around and be careful then. One thing you may want to do if there is a flow on in your area is to add a super so they don't backfill the brood nest.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Put the empty frames on top, check in 5 days for cells or eggs (maybe u have the queen). If you have cells, stay out about 3 weeks and check back then to see if you have a laying queen or not.


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