# Best Time For Making A split From A double Brood Hive?



## Hee Haw (Mar 23, 2006)

Hello,
I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on when would be the proper time to split a double brood hive in North Georgia that I started last year. It appears to have 6 to 7 frames coverd with bees now, looking in from the top.
Could you advise me on "when",and "the simplest way to to split this double brood hive into 2 hives". I would be greatful for your input, are if you could direct me to a web site that might help, on when and simplest way. Thanks.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

We do Our splits as soon as the night time temps run in the 40's, the queen is laying a lot of eggs.

We pull 5 frames from the mother colony, put them into a third deep. Place a double screen board on the second box of the mother colony with the entrance to the rear then add the third deep with the five frames you removed. There are other ways to do it but this is how we do it.
This is a double screen board.









This is the sizes if you want to build your own. Remember there is two layers of 1/8th hardware colth.










I have the how too posted here.
http://honeybeesonly.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=100

 Al


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## Hee Haw (Mar 23, 2006)

Good info, alleyyooper. Do you then normaly let that third hive make its own queen if there werent any queen cells on those five frames you added? and at the same time go ahead and put the other five frames of staterwax, and start feeding 1to1 sugar water? How long do you normaly leave it on ttop of the second mother coloney? Thanks alleyyopper.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I've never let the split make their own queen, but you could. We are trying to use only queens that are SMR's so we add a caged queen to the split.
We also leave it in place till the queen is laying real well and the population has growen. Or If the night temps are staying in the low 70's.
Yes give them 4 or 5 frames of new foundation depending how many frames you run to a box. Feed then the 1 to 1 ratio till they stop takeing it. 
I would remove them from above the orginal colony before I added a second deep.

 Al


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## Hee Haw (Mar 23, 2006)

alleyyooper said:


> I've never let the split make their own queen, but you could. We are trying to use only queens that are SMR's so we add a caged queen to the split.
> We also leave it in place till the queen is laying real well and the population has growen. Or If the night temps are staying in the low 70's.
> Yes give them 4 or 5 frames of new foundation depending how many frames you run to a box. Feed then the 1 to 1 ratio till they stop takeing it.
> I would remove them from above the orginal colony before I added a second deep.
> ...


  I am going to try this, I have a Queen comming this week in the mail. Do you normally take frames from both bottom and top mother hives to do this, such as 1- honey and pollen, 1-capped brood, 1 lava brood, and again 1- honey pollen, and place them in that order?
Thanks Again


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I try to get the frames in the order you stated from the top box. Don't really want to disturb any more than I have too.

 Rember to seal up any holes that might be in the back of the parent colony. I had a small hole in one last spring and the new split bees kept going back into the bottom box thru that back door  .

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Ttt


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