# Split Question



## quigibo (Jun 23, 2014)

Split Hives 7/10 with walkaway split. At a 2 week check I noticed neither hive had a queen but original hive had 6 queen cells. I put 2 of those queen cells in split hive and closed them up. I put a an empty box on top of each and fed sugar syrup to each filling as needed. Throughout the process I had to add robber screens to both. 
Did a through check of both hives 8/16 and it looks like everything is going good. Removed Robber screens and both have brood, pollen , capped honey(probably syrup). 

Questions: On the new hive I have an 8 frame box and an empty box on top where I have a qt jar feeder. In the top box I have screens probably 6 inches square for ventilation. Throughout this process and still today on the top box with the feeder in it there are many hundred maybe even a thousand bees in the there. They are not just crawling around like the other hive which does not have a screen. They are bouncing off the screen and seem very mad. If I open the top they all fly out immediately but go right back to the entrance and go back in. If I added another box with frames in it would that keep the bees from acting like that? Wondering if they want more room or that is how they are trying to cool off the hive? Or if they want it dark in there?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

They want it dark, yes. They also need to be able to cool it and six inches square sounds like too much ventilation.


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## quigibo (Jun 23, 2014)

Did not think you could have too much ventilation here in TX. Neighbor has screens on all his boxes and it does not seem like it bothers them. When it cools down I will close the hinged doors I put on. Just thought it would be nice to watch them and keep them cool in the summer.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Did not think you could have too much ventilation here in TX

Bees are evaporating water to cool the air in the hive. So when it's 110 F outside, it's 93 F in the brood nest. What happens when you have too much ventilation is that the brood nest is now 110 F and all the brood dies...

Yes, you can have too much ventilation. You can also have too little. It's the Goldilocks syndrome... you want "just right".


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## quigibo (Jun 23, 2014)

Even though I read that a while back it did not sink in. Glad you reminded me of it before I put screens in all my boxes! 
Thanks!


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