building numbers up and splitting

[maddydog]

HI all,

I‘ve got a single colony at 3 different sites so I'm looking to split each colony for 6 in total.
Two of the colonies are in cedar nationals (with full height 50mm kingspan cozies). Both contain 6-7 seams of bees when i oxalic dribbled at the beginning of jan. The other is a 14*12 poly nuc with 6 seams. All 3 were strong nucs from last summer with prolific queens.
My thoughts are to double brood the nationals and then split adjusting my method depending on what swarming evidence i see. A couple of questions:

1) I've got some nektapol to help with spring build up. What would be a reasonable date, mid to end of feb?
2) When the poly nuc is full would it be possible/sensible to split it into 2 poly nucs? Alternatively i have a full-sized 14*12 i can move them onto first and then split later. My plan is to introduce bought mated queens into the 3 splits.
Cheers

 

[itma]

A single strong colony should put on bee numbers faster than two small ones, so I'd suggest building the 14x12 before splitting it.
Re stimulative feeding, I'd say it depends on the local weather outlook and forage.
Pollen (or substitute protein) feeding only really helps colony build-up if the area is short of early pollen in the vicinity of the hives.
Weak syrup (simulating a nectar flow) is however supposed to get them brooding (and thus needing pollen/protein). The protein/pollen feed isn't supposed to itself be stimulative, rather it may be needed after stimulation (natural or artificial).
You might want to look up the technique of "brood spreading" to maximise the rate of build-up --- always providing that you have plenty of stores in the hives.
Once brooding gets going, the rate of consumption increases dramatically, and if there isn't real nectar coming in, you have to make sure they don't risk running seriously short.

As for when, since you aren't aiming at a local OSR or other early mega nectar opportunity (or at least you haven't said so), I'd be thinking of mid to late February. Beeks moving onto OSR might be starting a couple of weeks earlier. And climate/geography obviously comes into it too ... East Yorks isn't famous for early Springs!

 

[madasafish]

My advice is to take a long look at an accurate long term weather forecast first... Helps you avoid premature splitting..A weak colony in bad weather is a waste of effort.

 

[maddydog]

Thanks for the replies.

I've read up on brood spreading and understand the theory (I think!). I'll give it a go on the 14x12 home colony.

Only my home colony would likely have access to OSR assuming they're prepared to fly up 500m - 1km. Useful for comb building I guess (the 14x12 will be given foundation for expansion whereas I've got two spare boxes of drawn comb for the nationals).

You're spot on with the weather, if this year is anything like last then I'd end up with a lot of hungry bees in April!

 

[MuswellMetro]

My advice is to take a long look at an accurate long term weather forecast first... Helps you avoid premature splitting..A weak colony in bad weather is a waste of effort.

Weather at end of February is looking quite warm on some long range forecasts

 

[iand]

... East Yorks isn't famous for early Springs!

Yes we tend to be tempted with idea most years of the bees roaring away, early on then we switch to an easterly airflow and it all goes cold again.
Many a time in years past that wind dried everything up so we could drill spring barley but with snow blowing in a lazy wind.
It can quite easily put everything on hold for a month.

 

[Roola]

Weather at end of February is looking quite warm on some long range forecasts

yep agreed... looking more and more like the winter that never was...