Splitting Hive Options For Beginner

[nmesmeric]

Hey Guys,

So I have overwintered my first colony of bees I have now just purchased my second hive and am planning on splitting the hive later on this Spring.

As a beginner, what do you suggest is the best option for hive splitting. Do you recommend buying a new queen? Should I wait for queen cells to appear before splitting? Can I just do a "walk away" split and just leave them to it?

Also when do people normally split hives in UK, early May?

Thanks for your help and advice!

Felix

 

[Murox]

There are some good threads and posts on the general subject of increasing your bees - just use the search function. There are many variables to your basic question, perhaps the best source of information and help would be for you to chat with members of your local association.
This link http://https://www.theapiarist.org/vertical-splits-making-increase/
might be good place to begin - the author is also a member of this forum.

 

[enrico]

There are so many options. I simply use a double brood box and split them later in the year. Simply remember that a split is not the same as swarm prevention!
E

 

[nmesmeric]

Thanks for the advice guys Enrico, I thought that splitting the hive was a good method of swarm prevention is it not?

 

[enrico]

Only if it is done as a part of swarm prevention!
That sounds confusing.
You CAN split a hive when carrying out swarm prevention. For example using a vertical method or a pagden method. BUT it is also possible just to split a hive in two when swarming is not being hinted at by the bees. If you do that the original queen may still swarm at a later date. Mind you she might if you do swarm control anyway!
Remember bees swarm to recreate. They need to swarm to continue the species so whatever you do might not stop them swarming
What I was hinting at was that if you want two hives from one then I like to get one really strong hive with two brood boxes and then simply split them. One will have the queen and one will make a new one or can have one introduced.
I know it's complicated but if you split them outside of swarm control you can easily end up with three hives if one part swarms anyway!
There are so many ways to make splits. Just a nuc with bees in will make a new queen and you can build a new hive up from there. You have to pick the route that is best for you. I DO hope I haven't blown your mind completely.

 

[Poly Hive]

There is a simple way to avoid the swarming aspect and that is split in three.

One third will have the old queen, the insurance. The other two can raise their own new queens. End of swarming for the season and the insurance nuc can either be sold on or de-queened and united back to strengthen one of the nucs.

Lots of options.

PH

 

[ShinySideUp]

Not that I meant to do it this way but I ended up catching two of my own swarms and so increased my colony count. Of course now I have three colonies that are prone to swarming behaviour so if anyone wants any more bees just be near my apiary in May with a bee suit and a suitable box

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I thought that splitting the hive was a good method of swarm prevention is it not?

Yes and no - splitting before they make swarm preparations does work (see the Demarree method for one) because one of the triggers for swarming is lack of space, so if you give them more space before they run out, while at the same time reducing the amount of brood, they have no reason to swarm. It's just in Britain it gets drummed into new beekeepers to be reactive where swarming is involved rather than proactive. Yes, they may swarm 'anyway' but no different to any other method of swarm control.
Walk away splits is much used method of making increase in the US, also one that Wally Shaw swears by with us in Wales.Basically you just take a few frames of brood with plenty of eggs, food and loads of young bees out of the donor colony, stick them in a nuc then walk away and let them get on with it, hopefully in a month or so they will have sorted themselves out with a new queen. No need to fiddle with reducing queen cells, they sort it all out themselves

 

[Ian123]

Hey Guys,

So I have overwintered my first colony of bees I have now just purchased my second hive and am planning on splitting the hive later on this Spring.

As a beginner, what do you suggest is the best option for hive splitting. Do you recommend buying a new queen? Should I wait for queen cells to appear before splitting? Can I just do a "walk away" split and just leave them to it?

Also when do people normally split hives in UK, early May?

Thanks for your help and advice!

Felix

You’ve got plenty of options and variations, if you are happy with your nuc you could purchase a queen from the same source? A simple nuc made up with younger bees and introduce her. To be honest you may learn more with some other options but as a single hive owner it may be the safer option and should if done early enough provide 2 productive colonies.

 

[Millet]

You’ve got plenty of options and variations, if you are happy with your nuc you could purchase a queen from the same source? A simple nuc made up with younger bees and introduce her. To be honest you may learn more with some other options but as a single hive owner it may be the safer option and should if done early enough provide 2 productive colonies.

I make nucs every year with bought in Queens..it is a piece of piddle..
I never use the strong productive hives but the F2 angry colonies (if one or two pop up) they gets used ..a frame of brood or two placed in a poly nuc and a full frame of stores and then filled with drawn frames..loads of bees shook in the nuc/nuc's and moved away from the original spot..leave them for half an hour or so open the fondant plug and place the queen with attendants near the brood..the commercial cage must be left to right not up and down as the fondant can leak out too quick.. top the feeder up with 2:1 and leave them too it..check in a week for Queen cells and to see if the new Queen is laying and job sorted..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Have a read of this - another gem sponsored by the WBKA and now reprinted in various languages, written by Wally Shaw - a proper thinking, practical beekeeper

http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/web-Simple-Methods-of-Making-Increase-2nd-edition.pdf

 

[monarda]

Have a read of this - another gem sponsored by the WBKA and now reprinted in various languages, written by Wally Shaw - a proper thinking, practical beekeeper

http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/web-Simple-Methods-of-Making-Increase-2nd-edition.pdf

Next to that on my bookshelf I have his " An Apiary Guide to Swarm Control" and "There are Queen Cells in my Hive- What should I do? "- both excellent booklets

 

[Erichalfbee]