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Dividing <br /> The goal of dividing is to reduce the likelihood of swarming. Dividing colonies will enhance your beekeeping <br /> skills. It is not a simple process, so make sure you have plenty of time. Make a plan, organize yourself and the <br /> equipment you will need, and move slowly. <br /> The following steps will help you locate the laying queen, which often can be difficult, even for the most <br /> experienced beekeepers. For a pictorial diagram of dividing, see Figure 43. <br /> • At least 4 days prior to the expected arrival of your queen, the brood should be divided into two <br /> approximately equal portions. Half of the frames containing brood (4-6 frames) should be in the top <br /> hive body and the other half(4-6 frames) should be in the middle hive body. The outer frames should <br /> contain equalized amounts of food. If you have more than 12 frames of brood, the remainder should go <br /> in the bottom hive body. <br /> • Stack the boxes in the following order: place the box with the least brood in the bottom position, add <br /> one of the boxes with 4-6 frames of brood in the middle position, place a queen excluder on top of the <br /> middle box, then place the other box with 4-6 frames of brood on top of the queen excluder in the top <br /> position. The queen excluder will isolate the queen in one of these two brood units. <br /> • Four days later, inspect the hive bodies to find eggs. The section that contains eggs will also <br /> contain the queen. If eggs are found in the hive body above the excluder, you know the queen is in <br /> the top box. If eggs are found in a box below the excluder, then the queen is the bottom two boxes. The <br /> box with brood that does not have eggs will be used to make the divide and receive a new queen. <br /> • Place the box that contains about half of the brood but no eggs (and no queen) on the bottom board at <br /> a new location within the apiary. This colony is called the "divide." <br /> • The unit that contains the queen (as indicated by the presence of eggs) and the other half of the <br /> brood remains on the original hive stand. Put the box with brood in the bottom position and place the <br /> remaining deep box with no or little brood on top (this mostly empty box will be their room to grow). This <br /> colony is called the "parent." <br /> Let the divide sit queenless for 12-24 hours before adding a caged new queen using the "slow release method" <br /> as described next. <br /> • <br /> Beekeeping in Northern Climates 57 <br />