# Even split advice



## huwge23 (May 1, 2016)

I wanted to do an even split today since the weather is excellent but I also wanted to introduce a mated queen. I will not be able to do this until Wednesday as that is when the store I deal with will have replacements. 

Am I still in the clear to introduce her Wed. if I split today? 

Or any other suggestions? I really didn't want to do a walk away since the only nuc I have is cardboard. 

Oh so my hive is a 10 frame and is typical setup 2 brood boxes, one medium as my super. I only have the one hive for right now and they are absolutely exploding...meaning they are doing very well. I have a complete second (empty) hive setup ready to go.


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## Kalteisen (Mar 17, 2017)

Four days queenless? I would wait until mid day Monday to do the split, if not on Wednesday after you have the new queen.


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

The problem with making a split and adding a caged queen later is the bees will begin making emergency queen cells. If a queen cell is in the split the adult bees do not consider themselves queenless and will kill any added queen. You would have to cut all queen cells in the colony, and the bees may continue to build cells until all eggs and larvae are too old to make a queen.

What you could do is work the colony today, putting frames of sealed brood in the upper hive body above an excluder, and making sure the queen is below with the frames of unsealed brood. This would make the time needed to make the split less because you would know where the queen is, and would have the frames of brood and food ready to remove to the new box. You may need to check the sealed brood for started queen cells but shaking the adults off and doing a check would not take long.

I have always had more success adding the caged queen at the time of the split than waiting to add her later.


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## huwge23 (May 1, 2016)

That was what I was thinking about doing is just working the hive today. The problem is, in western NY, this time of year is unpredictable and usually extremely rainy. 

Today the forecast is beautiful and sunny perfect conditions IMO. The next 7 days have at least 30% chance of rain. 

If I cannot do the split Wed when i get the queen what is the maximum amount of days she can stay in that cage before dying/being release?


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

I have never had a queen in a cage longer than 5 days ( 3 days in the mail, 2 days on the bathroom counter )before she was placed in a colony so I don't know how long they will live. I believe the faster they are introduced after being caged, the better.


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## Kenww (Apr 14, 2013)

Unless you don't like the bees you have, I'd let them raise their own queen


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