one of two splits achieves a mated queen

From the parent hives I removed eggs, capped worker brood, pollen and bees and one of two splits achieves a mated queen.  Not bad for a new-bee, but I have to credit the favorable spring weather and drones from local hives.   Here's a summary of what went on with the two splits.

April 6th (day 20) with help from a visiting friend, Ray Karsch, we move the splits which have been sitting on top of their parent hive with the same entrance orientation.  Without a cinch strap we gently stack both splits onto the same hive stand.  Each split has their own deep division board feeder and the bottom split has a counting board to keep them warm.  The top split is taking syrup while the bottom split is not.  April 12th (day 26), bees return to the top split with pollen, while no pollen is found on the counting board of the bottom split.  April 6th (day 30), I simply combine splits into a two deep box configuration.  I'm convinced that one split contains a mated queen based on pollen foraging and syrup consumption.
 
April 23rd, I discover all the bees in the lower box, so I squeeze the resources into one deep box with a division board feeder.  May 1st, I remove the deep division board feeder.  Next I add a medium box with one frame of capped honey (bait frame from parent hive) and seven medium frames with wax strips.  Above the inner cover I invert a one gallon pail and remove the counting board.

making spring splits

I split all (two) of my hives this spring (March 17th).  I chose four adjacent frames from the bottom box of each parent hive which contained eggs, worker brood or pollen.  Next, I added three adjacent frames with wax strips.  Last, I added a 3 quart division board feeder as insurance.  In the parent hive, I checker-boarded the missing four frames with frames with wax strips.  Each split was placed on top of their parent hive and in the same orientation as the parent hive.  From the hive defensiveness, I presume that there is no major nectar flow.

On day fourteen (March 30th), I quickly checked beneath the inner cover of both splits.  The dawn temperature was 59 °F and some reassuring warm moist escaped from beneath the inner cover.  Both splits have a nice cluster of bees over several frames.  One split consumed one cup of syrup and the other split consumed two quarts of syrup.  So far, all seems well.

3qt deep division board feeder experience

Here is my experience with a 3qt deep division board feeder.  I fed two new bee packages using a deep division board feeder, where the feeder took the place of one outermost deep frame.  The new feeders were tested for leaks using water, then 3qts of syrup (plus Honey-B-Healthy) was added and topped up with more syrup as needed. I opened the small black door and poured syrup into the middle filling compartment which raised the floats and bees too.  If the bees became defensive, then I:

• try to slow down my (hand) movements
• slid (not removed) the inner cover to the right exposing only the feeder

 

A second deep box was added when all the wax strips had lots of comb.  I moved one frame of comb (as bait) and the deep division board feeder to the second deep box.  After seven weeks, comb inside the feeders began to interfere with the floats and the division board feeders were replaced with wax strips and I started pail feeding.

 

Now I get to inspect the empty feeders.  In one empty feeder, no (zero) drowned bees are discovered.  In the other empty feeder, three drowned bees are in the central filling compartment.  What a relief not to find too many dead bees.  On the web I read the experiences of others using less sophisticated division board feeders that have a tendency to collapse or drown bees.