# When to split in Central North Carolina???



## Cyndi (Apr 26, 2005)

Good question. I'm going to split my 2 Italian beehives this spring too. I'm very interested in doing a walk away split and have a zillion questions about queens and can they just make their own queen without my interference?


----------



## fhafer (Mar 27, 2005)

I'm in Virginia...a bit north of you. I split in the late summer/early fall. I let the strong hive work the spring flow and split when it slows. I have the added expense of feeding both hives heavily but I don't lose a strong working hive either. I've done spring splits in the past and found fall splits easier. JMO


----------



## Ron Young (Aug 16, 2006)

I understand that logic, however I am just getting started and would like to have two hives built up strong enough to winter with minimal feeding. In addition, I am going to allow them to raise there own queen, so I really need time for her to mate, and lay brood so I can determine her quality. Therefore, I plan to spit in early spring.

[ February 14, 2007, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: Ron Young ]


----------



## Cyndi (Apr 26, 2005)

Hey Ron,

I'm just wondering about the honey flow...I'd like some honey this year too!! Which makes me think that fhater may have a good point. Because, I definitely don't want anything to mess up a possible good Sourwood Flow,


----------



## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

This what I do, depending on the weather, I would just watch the hive and let them tell me when it is ok to do a split, when you see drones in your hive the other hives around your area will have them also, early spring split the hive (I split around the end of Feb. early march here in ga. too be safe), if you feed your hive with the queen should be going full strength by the time the major flow starts, remember queens need drones to mate  . IMHO just my 2 pennies worth

[ February 14, 2007, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: TwT ]


----------



## db_land (Aug 29, 2003)

Hi Ron,
Do a search on "cutdown split": basically you put the queen and all open brood with honey and pollen stores and enough bees to thoroughly cover the brood (you shake extra bees into the split as needed). Leave one patch/frame of fresh eggs in the mother hive for them to make a new queen. You do this about 2 weeks before the start of the main flow (in your area the main flow is Tulip Poplar and it starts April 26). The net effect is you gain a new hive plus a larger honey harvest from the mother hive (no brood to feed means more workers foraging and processing nectar into honey). A side benefit is swarm control.


----------



## beegee (Jun 3, 2003)

We were discussing this tonight. Late splits will tend to leave a hive weaker and more susceptible to invasion by varroa and SHB. I prefer to split in the spring before a main flow.


----------



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I've had really good luck using the cut-down split, but also good luck splitting right after the main spring flow - just before the cotton flow. Anything after the cotton flow takes too much effort to bring them through the winter. 

(from your previous post) You said that you have one hive, I'd recommend that you try the cut-down split, but keep the brood nest open to help prevent swarming. Actually, if you're a beginner, then you should (will) be in the hive pretty regularly and will catch any swarm cells that occur (just don't miss any). Just put the swarm cells into a nuc and chances are pretty good you can start a few new hives with little impact on the parent hive. Of course if they're making a lot of swarm cells then they'll probably swarm on you unless you take stronger measures. Nonetheless, you can delay a swarm by pulling cells and make a few nucs in the process. Then if you get a few nucs started you can always add resources from the main hive as needed, which may further delay/prevent swarming. 

Safest bet is to implement good swarm control measures (plenty of discussions on that topic) and do the cut-down split as suggested.


----------



## Janice Lane (Feb 5, 2006)

I'm going to do cut-down splits with two hives the first week of April. It works out great that we are on spring break that week I am probably about a week ahead of you here as far as main honey flow dates.


----------



## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

>>>>I understand that logic, however I am just getting started and would like to have two hives<<<

Split your two deep hive into 4 five frame nucs and give two to a neighbor.   

It is forecast to be in the 60's here next week. Plans should be made then, after assessing the bees again after this cold spell. The amount of brood and bees then will tell you when you can expect to make your split.


----------



## Ron Young (Aug 16, 2006)

That figures, I am going to be in Wisconsin next week. The week after that is going to be 21 days following the feeding of the pollen patty, and the top feeder.


----------



## FordGuy (Jul 10, 2005)

Maybe your plan could be as follows: feed your one hive now to encourage good strong buildup. Sometime in March, you may see swarm cells. Take that frame with swarm cells (hopefully 2) and combine it with enough frames to make a 5 frame nuc. You will have to nurse that nuc through next winter, or at least watch it carefully around february for starvation. You will also have to add nurse bees in several weeks, or trade it places with a large hive to add older bees.


----------



## drobbins (Jun 1, 2005)

FordGuy

long time no hear from
welcome back
I don't follow your logic
why would a nuc made up with a swarm cell in March need nursing next winter?
I would expect it to be a fully functional hive by then

Dave


----------



## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

>> I don't follow your logic

Me either. I'd expect a frame with queen cells plus one or two others frames taken early in the spring and managed well to be fully established (at least 1 well-filled 10 frame hive body, probably more) by fall.

[ February 16, 2007, 07:29 PM: Message edited by: AstroBee ]


----------



## iddee (Jun 21, 2005)

In a good year, it will fill two deeps and two supers, but if you wait until then to split, you need to have boxes ready for the next 2 or 3 swarms that will be coming out weekly in a good spring.
They need to be checked in Feb. here. Then checked weekly or more often after that, and acted on accordingly.

I removed two frames with queen cells from a hive last March, a week apart, and made nucs. I then caught 3 weekly swarms from that hive, turning the one hive into six. I still harvested a medium super of honey from it in July.


----------

