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Preparation <br /> To discourage strong colonies from swarming, make divides about 6-8 weeks before the main nectar flow4111 <br /> (during the dandelion bloom that occurs early to mid-May in Minnesota's Twin Cities area). Divides should be <br /> made before swarm season (usually late May to early June in Minnesota's Twin Cities area).A divide made <br /> at this time will build up in population and will likely make sufficient honey to harvest. <br /> The colony that is to be divided should have a large adult bee population and 8-12 frames of brood. If the <br /> colony has fewer than 6 frames of brood, it is too weak to make a divide. Each divide should have a minimum <br /> of 4 frames of brood and 5 frames of bees. <br /> If a colony is not strong enough, it should not be divided. Skip the divide section and manage the colony as <br /> described starting with the section called "Summer Management." <br /> Before making the divide, you will need to purchase and prepare the following items: <br /> • Purchase a mated queen from a queen producer. The queen you purchase will have already mated <br /> and will be ready to lay eggs. It is best to order a queen to arrive the day of, or day before you make <br /> the divide. If you can't make your divide immediately after your queen arrives, keep your queen and <br /> her worker bee attendants in a cool (60-72°F), dark, and quiet place. Provide the caged bees with a <br /> small drop of water once daily until you can make your divide and introduce the new queen. A queen <br /> can be kept caged in this condition for several days. <br /> • Prepare an additional hive stand, a bottom board, inner cover, telescoping cover, one deep hive body <br /> with frames of drawn comb and/or foundation, and a gravity feeder(feeder pail) with sugar syrup <br /> (1:1). Place all equipment in the same apiary with the colony you are dividing. <br /> S <br /> Purchasing Mated, Virgin, or Cell Queen Bees <br /> We recommend purchasing and using mated queen bees to requeen colonies in <br /> 111 the first couple years of beekeeping. Mated queens, while more expensive, are <br /> the least risky. <br /> Words of <br /> Wisdom Some queen producers sell unmated, virgin queens. We do not recommend <br /> using virgin queens as the bees do not accept these queens as readily compared <br /> to mated queens.Also, virgins need to fly out from the colony to mate and safely return to the colony. <br /> Virgin queens require an adequate mature drone population in order to mate, which your area may not <br /> have in spring when you make divides. Mated queens can just get to work right away. <br /> Queen cells may also be purchased for requeening. They are a good option for purchasing locally <br /> raised stock if available in your area. Each queen that emerges from a cell needs an adequate drone <br /> population in the area in order to mate successfully. We do not recommend using queen cells in the <br /> first two years of beekeeping as they require a good grasp on bee biology. It can take 21-30 days for <br /> the new queen to mature, mate and start laying eggs, which can be confusing to new beekeepers <br /> since they may lack the confidence in assessing whether a colony is queen right and when to <br /> intervene. However, queen cells can be a good choice after a few years of beekeeping experience. <br /> Consider rearing your own queen bees in the future if beekeeping becomes a passion. Queen rearing <br /> is an excellent way to learn more about bee biology. <br /> • <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 56 <br />