Beekeeping : How To Split A Bee Hive Part 2
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- čas přidán 13. 04. 2017
- Beekeeping is NOT an easy hobby to start. Sometimes you have to make splits. Here's Part 2 on me making two splits from a huge overwintered colony here in central Illinois. If you didn't watch part 1 yet, here's the link: • Beekeeping : How To Ma...
Beekeeping can be a challenge. Are you just starting out? If you are new to beekeeping or you keep failing, I strongly recommend you take my Ultimate ONLINE Beekeeping Course.
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My overwintering technique is no secret. I sell the winter-bee-kinds I invented, have an ebook on Amazon about how to get your bees through the winter and I offer classes on overwintering.
My next video shows how to place the split back in the spot of the original colony for 30 minutes to add resources/foragers and then take it back. It's a cool video. Stay tuned.
And please subscribe! Check out our complete online beekeeping website at www.honeybeesonline.com
Impressive hive, I like how you just tossed that cocoon 😂😂😂
I can't wait until your channel goes viral. I can't understand why it hasn't yet. You do such a good job with your content and delivery of it. Keep up the good work.
Thanks
When you split that hive 3 ways coming out of winter, do you let them make their own queen or did you requeen them?
Great video of a very strong hive coming out of winter. My only suggestion is that beekeepers use a quiet cloth regularly. I use an old bath towel. I cover frames from about 1 through 6 of seven as I pull frame 9 and then 10. You will have hardly any bees flying all around which can be very disconcerting to a new beekeeper. When you pull a box and set it to the side, cover it also with an old towel. And when replacing a box on top of another, just lay a towel on top of the lower box and all the bees will go down into the interspaces with 15 seconds, thus leaving the top bars in that lower box free of bees so there is no crushing. Of course you could smoke the heck out of them to make them go away, but why do that when a nice, old, soft towel will do the same thing.
Didn't even think about that,, great suggestion thanks.
Dave Maloney Hi Dave,
You sound like an experienced bee keeper. I’m a newbie (no pun intended) therefore wondered how he was able to split a huge into three when there is only 1 queen. The other two hives did not have any as far as I understand. Was he relying on the fact that some of the eggs will be turned into queen bees eventually? Any advice will be Much appreciated. Thanks.
that is awesome i never thought of that either.
2 year time internet time traveler here.
thanks for the awesome tip!
@@almusti , you pretty much right on the mark. When splitting, be sure to have eggs and/or larvae under 36 hours old (the size of a comma, very small!). The bees will make a good quality queen out of that tiny larvae should they find themselves either without a queen (in which case it is an emergency queen cell) or with a poor quality queen (in which case it is a supersedure cell). Alternatively, those splits that do not have a queen could have a queen cell, a virgin queen, or a mated queen added to it in order to make it queenright. But before adding any such cells or queens, be sure to inspect each frame to make sure the bees have not already started building their own queen cells. If they have, kill the cell before adding a replacement queen otherwise the emerging queens will fight.
@@almusti best queens to make period is set up a swarm like situation. But be very careful the bees do not swarm. I plan on doing it that way this year i have a hive that will look just like the one did in this video come april and i plan on making splits by creating a swarming situation, i currently have 3 deeps and a medium on it and am giving pollen patties every 7 days, then once i get them to make a bunch of cells before they actually do swarm i am going to split it starting with moving the queen and then split the rest into probably 10 or more nucs depending on how many cells they make and how many brood frames there is. Last year she had brood in 3 boxes.
I really enjoy the way you explain things!
Great David! I love your videos! I am learning a lot! Cheers from Australia
G'day David, love your videos!! Full of helpful information and a good splash of positivity and optimism. Keep up the good work!! Cheers Matt (Australia)
Thanks Matt, I'm even better in real life :)
I have no doubt about that. ;)
Great video! I watched both parts. I enjoyed watching the inspection process. Makes me feel a little more confident going into my first hive.
Great 👍 info. Thanks David and Sheri 😊
Very Nice video of a simple double split David! As always lots of good information.
Thanks Jim
Thank you for the great video.
Thank You Sir
David, Thanks so much. I am absolutely the newest novice. I probably did my first hive wrong by stacking two deeps, then releasing the queen 13 days ago. I'm wandering if I should use an queen excluder and when to add a super.
Wow. just wow.
AWESOME !! You could have actually even made more than just 3 hives from that split. Ever try any 2 frame mini nuc boxes ? Love your videos !!
Wow thats lot of drones
Hi David , rob from Canada. No repley needed. I read the repley to sarah steeves so sort have the information. Thanks
What a cool video thank you. That hive was really packed. I'm in my first year and I came through winter with four of six colonies three of them are fairly strong but one has a pitiful little cluster it's still quite cold here in northern New York and I fear the worst for that little colony. I reduced them down to a single deep and blocked off most of the entrance but the cluster is so small I think they need to be moved to a nuc. Can I do this safely? If so how?
what is the temp you are working in and what is a safe not safe temp ? I am new to bee keeping in Washington state , had 6 hives lost 3, making mistakes and learning the hard way, videos are great.
Hi David, I've been watching your videos for over a year now and have learnt a lot.
It's our second season starting here in the uk.
Your methods are very interesting,so many beekeepers have this idea and that idea and their grandfather did something this way for 50 years etc etc.
Finding a comfortable way of looking after the lil girls and keeping them disease free best we can is what we are trying to do.
We use oxalic acid with a vaporiser and have in total once filled 11 hives of various sizes.
My self including my dad started with red cedar hives national size and have swung towards using high density poly nuc's.
I'm 50 years old and no kid so I keep a clear view on what we are trying to achieve helping nature and gaining honey etc during the process.
Everyone has an opinion on how to do this or that and I'm kinda leaning towards your methods being a master keeper.
Last year was our first year and I think we made nearly every mistake possible, but we stuck with it and have grown nicely since that time.
You have a ton of avid subscribers and should be proud that you reach so many people.
Hey David, where to you get that veil? Love it.
You are very convincing
What did you do or where did you take the box with the queen? And did you leave original bottom deep in same or original location (walk away split like the one you moved to other side of building?)
Hi David, love your website, blog and videos (I'm a subscriber). Learned so much over the years. How can you walk to a location so close by and not concern yourself with the bees in the new split returning to the mother hive? I thought you had to take them at least 2 miles away. Thanks for your time.
Hi Sally, Sometimes it happens if the colony is just placed in the open. But in my case I changed what they immediately saw when they left the hive and it forced the foragers to reorientate to this new location next to the building. But in a field, I usually place a folding chair against the front of the hive so they will take a new orientation flight. I don't have time to take them 2 miles away :)
Love your videos! New beekeeper here. Will you please give your opinion about using screened bottom boards vs solids. Thanks so much. So much to learn!
I started before screen BB were a thing and it was a difficult decision but I finally made the switch and love them. Summer/winter ventilation is great. Mites fall through instead of climbing back up on a bee walking by and it's just the way to go. But people have different opinions and some people prefer solid. To each his own.
Thanks so much!
It looked like you use just a screen board not one with a drawer is that correct if so is that to cold for Winter?
I do the same thing when i have queens laying im the super, make splits and put medium frames in a deep box, i have at least 20 medium frames that with the comb on the bottom are the same size as a deep. I am just going to let them go until i get to a point where its time to cycle out the old comb and that could be a decade or more lol.
Great videos, info and online classes (I'm currently taking the 6 course package). Just started bee keeping this spring with two hives and it's exciting. I do have a question about splitting the hive(s) when needed. When you move the queen to a new hive does that mean into a new and empty hive/box, therefore building up to 3 hives?
Thanks Mark, when I move a queen from an over wintered colony I also take 4 frames of her brood and make a split.
Hi David -- Thanks for the video! Did you requeen the newly established hive, or, did you allow it to produce its own queen?
This was also my question. I did not see any queen cells in his new splits. Would love to know if they just create their own queen cells since they know the new hive is queen-less. This would be good to know!
That’s why he looked for eggs. The workers will convert a regular cell, occupied by an egg, to a queen cell to requeen themselves once they realize they are “hopelessly queenless.” It’s called a “walk away split.”
David - great video. Thank you! One question for you... once you made the split and moved the frames to the newly painted box, you had 10 solid frames of brood and tons of bees. Why did you add a second brood box? My thought is that the full 10 frames will leave the bees with no room to grow and lead them to swarm. On the other hand, they also don’t have a queen yet so perhaps that’s the only reason why you didn’t add more space? Could you please clarify? Thanks!!
So the one you just did and. One leaving both have no queens so will they make queens or do you put new queens in? Great watching you thanks
The hive will realize there's no queen and choose some larvae to make queen(s).
Hello David. I'm quit new with the bees, If I make a split, and the make several queen cell, do I have to destroy them except one?
Do you add an entrance reducer after a split on either the hive with the queen or the queenless hive?
How and what do you feed your bees at wintertime ? Thanks
what is your winter secrets.???? been keeping bees in southern Il., and lose my bees every year.
You did walk away splits? That means they made there own queen then? And with the split yu made with the queen, did you add empty frames?
did you put queens in the spits or are they to make a new queen themselves?
Shallows are just getting in your way it seems
What is the purpose of the inner cover?
what state and area are you located . I'm amazed at how many spring bees you have and what type of bees do you have?
He's in Illinois.
Hi David. Can you tell me why you only put the hive on a mesh bottom and not on a solid board bottom. Thanks Wayne (Australia)
I'm pretty sure to keep ventilation to keep mildue down.
I am very new to this, but I read and seen videos.
Shouldn't there a second box on top of it since the first box is very full.
On the other hand, what do you call full and when is there a need for an additional box.
What kind of food are you feeding them over winter.
Thank you for this video.
Good questions Bonnie. I made a split so I will not add a second box until they build up a few more days. Remember, I did give them a few extra undrawn comb. And I took their queen so I'm not worried about them building up too fast. It will take the original colony 30 days to raise and have a laying queen. In the winter I feed them my winter-bee-kind invention. Take a look: czcams.com/video/Wun_50ihfHw/video.html
I'm always amazed at when you sit the box down, surely you're squashing bees!?? They don't get ticked and sting you?? :/
I am new, just a question, if you split the colony into 2 or 3 do they have to have queens in each splits? Or can I leave the main colony queenless?
Where can I find the ingredient list of your Winter Bee Kind boards? I don't see it on your site? Thanks.
Will you need to add a queen to the new splits?
How low temperatures do you have?
Did you put any empty frames in your hive to draw out wax this year
I usually place undrawn comb in my splits and the hives that I splits as shown in the video.
any idea why this hive hasn't already swarmed? I'm in WV, so a little earlier season but had one of my hives similarly strong swarm already 10 days ago.
No, but sometimes swarming is a genetic characteristic. Although, most strong colonies will have a reproductive swarm. That's how bee colonies multiple. Maybe it's still a bit early here.
At what point do you add more open frames to those full queenless brood boxes? Do you wait til you see a new queen (or evidence)?
You have five four frames with this be a good time to add a super?
Great video,, I'm just wondering,, you said don't blow on them and that's the way I have been told is to gently blow and they Will move. I don't want to do the wrong thing and was just wanting to know what I was doing to them. Thanks
Where do I buy your Winter Bee Kind?
shouldn't you put another deep on so they can keep expanding ?I'm very new, first year, thks
Yup, did that today! Since it was going to be a cool night when I made the splits, I didn't want to lose the heat in an empty deep above them.
So if there were no queen cells in the new hive, and the queen was in the other one, do they build a queen cell and convert one of the eggs/larva when they realize the queen is missing, or do you get a new queen and put her in there?
Hi Sarah, sort of. However, they have to make this decision before fertilized larvae reaches day 2. A one day old larvae (3 days after the egg was laid) is optimal for feeding this larva royal jelly only thus making it become a queen not a worker bee. If they have larvae that is older, say 3 days as a larvae or older then no they cannot make it into a queen. The beekeeper would have to purchase a mated queen and introduce her into the hive.
I'm new the this field. Those hives that u split, where r their queens?
Each hive will create a new unmated queen. Then she'll "mate" and get busy running the hive. The reason it's called a walkaway split is because you grab a box with eggs in it and bees and walkaway from it.
Where did you get the hive stands? Your invention??
No, I love these stands. We sell them on our website. I've used them for a couple of years and here's what I like: 1) They are nice a high off the ground. Better for the back. 2) They have the frame hangers on the side. Very, very nice!! 3) They have nice wide feet so they are less likely to sink into the ground. And they are made of a study plastic so they will out live me :)
Well D how do youu not know how many queens are in that box. Rob.
Do you offer “Winter Bee Kind” for sale?
I see you dont respond to questions but when you do a walk away spilt shouldnt you take the "queen right" box and move it.. leave the others in original spot.
There are various ways. The hive with the original queen and the hive with eggs are the two parameters. The bees within hive with eggs will make a new queen
How can be that you don't have any Condensation?
how many times have you been stung? you mean how many in 1 day? lmao i got stung on my back through my hoodie and didn't even know until my wife said i had a big pimple on my back, only to find a stinger at the center LOL.
Add more
What breed of bees do you have?
Usually just hard working mutts. :)
You ought to see my new hives Dave I guess to ppis 28 Acres of clover it all kinds of fruit trees they ought to be. Full
Awesome
David, may I suggest that you try to work your hives with a hive tool in each hand so you don't have to move across the open hive to break free the second end of the frame. Without much effort I can place both tools a second so apart on each end of the frame, thus saving the slow 10 second sweep times 9 or 10 frames per box. That's 5 minuets per 3 box hive. I park my hive tools between my 4th and 5th fingers of each hand and never set them down. I will let you figure how many more hives you can go through in a 8, 10 or 12 hours a day.
Look like you should just go to all deep boxes
Hi David just a quick question on the split you did,with the hive having overwintered and bursting at the seams.
When you did the walk away split why didn't you add a super to open up room so the eventual queen can lay in the brood box?.
I'm trying to learn and I'm a second year keeper
Hi Shaun, good question. I decided to make additional colonies rather than try to keep that one big for honey. Remember, though even though you give a colony more honey supers, a large colony like that will likely have a reproductive swarm. That's how colonies multiple, my producing a swarm. Now, this hive will still likely produce a ton of honey, we'll see. So remember this: you split to have more hives for more honey next year, and you keep them together for honey this year. But when you do, swarm management is challenging.
Hahaha all covered up in a Bee suit he says 🤭, come to AUSTRALIA we cover in full suit, you guys just wear hats 😳🇭🇲🇭🇲, what the hell 🤣
Near the five minute mark you said not to blow on them but to move them with your finger. I was taught otherwise (freshman beekeeper), I am curious to to know why you say that? I know everyone is different but I like to hear all the angles. Would you mind explaining what is your reasoning for not blowing? A reply is fine. A video, of course, would be better. ;)
Many insects can pick up on our carbon dioxcide C02, the breath we exhale. It makes sense not to blow on bees as a bear does when they destroy colonies.
ok, and then what? are they going to rais a queen out of those brood and eggs? or you going to introduce a new queen? confusing for a new beekeeper...
Yeah I asked that too so hopefully I get an answer
Kind of a nothing video. Split some honey supers with the queen and put them in a deep box. Then a walk-away split - he just walked to a new location. I was hoping he would have done a few more splits from his overpopulated hive.
2000 even 750 for a queen your drunk!
Agreed, but hey, I don't want to sell her, but I would for 2,000 just sayin...that's how much I like her.
Wow never heard 750 but 2000 works how long do you keep your queens on an average?
No s*** . I sell the whole box for that much