# Split or Super?



## stan.vick (Dec 19, 2010)

Everyone is going to have a different opinion, but mine is to super the booming hives after checker boarding them ( see Walt Wrights video on youtube, the seven minute one ) the other hives can still be split a little later, that way you should have more honey and still have the increase of colonies. The exception would be if you find queen cells in the booming hives, then you'd need to split them instead. JMO


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## ApricotApiaries (Sep 21, 2014)

LeonardS said:


> What are the deciding factors for you on whether to split a booming hive or to super it? I have two hives with huge populations that I was planning to split and three other hives that are of normal population that I was planning to super.


Split and super. 
If it is a really booming hive, Supering won't usually enough to control swarming. you want to take full advantage of the growing hive. I find it is best to pull some bees out, AND super. 
If you have comb to put back, by all means pull a few frames of brood and make a nuc or a split. 
If you want to conserve drawn comb in the hive, then shake bees instead of pulling brood. You can probably shake half the bees out (or more sometimes) without hurting the hive. It'll feel like you just abused the hive if you have never done it, but three days later you would never know the difference. These bulk bees can be added with a queen and feeder to a box of foundation and draw a lot of comb for you. Or we use bulk bees like this to raise queen cells. I will shake a couple of hives, either through an excluder or find the queen first, to get 6-8lbs of bees. Add a couple frames of honey and pollen, add syrup, wait overnight then add our grafts. It works great.


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## LeonardS (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks for the ideas!


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