# splits end of march too early? bedford viriginia



## Matt903 (Apr 8, 2013)

You buying mated queens and splitting them that way? Or walk away splits? A virgin queen will need warm flying weather and lots of drones to mate with, if you are doing walk away splits. I am just starting to see a few drones in my strong hives, and i am south of you.


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## tsmullins (Feb 17, 2011)

wertzsteve said:


> I am thinking of doing a couple of splits on march 25 or 1st of April, because it looks like spring is about tree weeks early here. second year beek.:scratch:


We don't have drones flying yet. We are several hours west of you in the mountains. The first of April is a viable possibility.

Shane


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

I am just on the other side of the Blue Ridge from you and have seen nary a drone in my hives. I also saw no capped drone cells. I was in them 2 days ago. The weather forecast for here looks like the last week in March for things to warm back up. If you have purchased queens you could do it, but w/o them it would be iffy. My biggest concern now is preventing swarming because there is a lot of brood in the hives and they are bringing in nectar. What I am wondering is if they would swarm w/o any drones for the cells left behind. That may be the biggest deterent to swarming, but I am not going to bet on it. The next warm day I am reversing and opening the brood nest.


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## bentonkb (May 24, 2016)

I saw loads of capped drone brood two weeks ago, but none flying yet. My hope is to graft queen cells on April 9. I'm near Farmville.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

in the eastern part of VA, we've had drones flying for at least 2 weeks. 3 of my nucs have queen cells (only one on purpose) and I expect all 3 should get well mated based on the forecast for week after next.


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

This thread sure proves the one constant rule in beekeeping i.e. all beekeeping is local.:gh:


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## appalachianoutdoors (May 16, 2015)

I'm in Lynchburg. I've got drones in my hives. With purchased queens, yes. Any other method, prob yes also bc it will take a queen several weeks to hatch out.


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## rv10flyer (Feb 25, 2015)

One fresh drone crawling around in one hive, none seen flying yet, tons of drone brood between deeps.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Girls mature faster than boys. While a queen can go from an egg to actually laying fertilized eggs in your hive in 28 days, a drone takes 38 days from an egg to be sexually mature and heading out to the DCAs. From first sign of capped drone brood, you could still have 28 days until you have sexually mature drones. Do your math before you do your splits.


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## wertzsteve (Dec 28, 2015)

I am going to try Roger Patterson method (at David Cushman). this is were you move your hive about 15 feet and place two 5 frame nucs were the original hive was so the nucs pick up the forgers. for the queen I am going to try OTS and check 4 days later, and eliminate any capped queen cells. then later thin to two capped queen cells per nuc.


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## wertzsteve (Dec 28, 2015)

update: waited till the 9 of April. made 2 nucs, took one frame of sealed brood with open some open cells and one frame of honey and two frames of drawled placed in a 4 frame nuc. checked back 5 days later got queen cells should be hatching around the 21 of April.


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## billabell (Apr 19, 2010)

Congats!! :applause:


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## coalsmok (Jan 27, 2017)

I tried the same thing and am on pretty much the same schedule as you are. 
If it works out I will have grown my hive count from two to eight. 
Had a hive that never seemed to take off settin next to one that I was always trying to stay ahead of. Pulled both queens and done OTS on the good hive. Used the weak hive for brood and honey/drawn frames.


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## wertzsteve (Dec 28, 2015)

update: June 3 checked both 4 deep frame nucs. each had two frames of capped brood each, up graded both of them to their own 10 frame hive.


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