How to Split Honey Bee Colonies, Detailed Explanation in a Commercial Operation

a Canadian Beekeeper's Blog
#splittinghoneybees
#commercialbeekeeping
#splittinghives
#honeybee
A quick and easy way to take a split from a honey bee colony which does not require wasted time hunting for the queen. This method is a three part process.
1-provide space to promote growth
2-sort out the hive by counting brood frames and shake all the bees below an excluder (no attempt to find the queen),
3-remove the split or take the brood from above the excluder that evening or over the next few days
This method allows the split to work in a timely manner and simple enough to train employees to work along side

Пікірлер: 86

  • @popquizzz
    @popquizzz3 жыл бұрын

    Yup, This one gets filed under: Ian's How To Steps to Successful Beekeeping

  • @Makermook
    @Makermook3 жыл бұрын

    I have a hard time believing most commercial honey producers are as thoughtful about bee husbandry as you are.

  • @rodneymiddleton9624
    @rodneymiddleton96243 жыл бұрын

    Videoing makes the task twice as long for sure. Love the education you're giving us with the incite in your operation. Thanks Ian!!

  • @LaraLovesBees
    @LaraLovesBees3 жыл бұрын

    Ian, that was a master class! Clearly explained your reasoning and the concept behind equalizing your apiary, time management and swarm control to utilize that spring buildup to your advantage. Nice!

  • @SilverGorilla1776
    @SilverGorilla17763 жыл бұрын

    The work never stops and it MUST be done on time. Beautiful video and so well explained. This is how I make splits also. I learned it’s so much easier to introduce a mated queen or queen cell to young bees that are taking care of brood. I get pretty much 100% acceptance of mated queens using this method.

  • @polmacbradaigh9506
    @polmacbradaigh95062 жыл бұрын

    Can't wait for next year to try someone your methods here in Ireland

  • @mountainspringbees
    @mountainspringbees3 жыл бұрын

    Great explanation of how you manage your boxes!

  • @matthewmccormick2417
    @matthewmccormick24173 жыл бұрын

    Best of luck IAN, May 31st looks like my last shakedown to single brood. After that it is all honey and building of comb on foundation for the girls here. monday will check and see how many Queens didnt come back and will let those nukes do walk away. will be interesting to see if i can make it to 500 hives next year with my hive MGT. this year will be 24 to over 100 ftw. Best of luck. You and the family stay safe pls. What you did i did late last week for last time. It is a great way to mgt splits and easy. This year DEFO is not like last year. The girls are fired up and did it early

  • @framcesmoore
    @framcesmoore3 жыл бұрын

    This was great thanks I really enjoyed this video.

  • @beefitbeekeeping
    @beefitbeekeeping Жыл бұрын

    Great video Ian thanks for taking the time to share!

  • @randallcarter-carterhillho2277
    @randallcarter-carterhillho22773 жыл бұрын

    Thank you!! Love your videos!!

  • @BeesBikinis
    @BeesBikinis3 жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the information. My girls are making their queens and are almost ready to hatch.

  • @estebanluiscanteros7880
    @estebanluiscanteros78803 жыл бұрын

    The breeding improved a lot 👍💪

  • @mgcbesterclan925
    @mgcbesterclan9253 жыл бұрын

    wow Nice explanation of your system THank you

  • @064prior
    @064prior3 жыл бұрын

    Great to see how you make your splits, I have started doing what my Father did 50 years ago, believe it or not, I leave an old empty hive with old frames in the apiary, when I see lots of interest I know that there is a swarm about to happen [missed queen cells] and I have had swarms come into that otherwise would have gone.

  • @leemarvinvalencia5120
    @leemarvinvalencia51203 жыл бұрын

    Great inspiration for me watching from the philippines

  • @ThatBeeMan
    @ThatBeeMan3 жыл бұрын

    That's a great explanation and example of this process. This is a great way to make splits etc!

  • @mountainspringbees

    @mountainspringbees

    3 жыл бұрын

    Great video! Love watching your stuff so much

  • @ThatBeeMan

    @ThatBeeMan

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@mountainspringbees Thanks for watching!

  • @mountainspringbees

    @mountainspringbees

    3 жыл бұрын

    Haha I wondered where my comment went... oops

  • @eng.knowledgeseeker
    @eng.knowledgeseeker3 жыл бұрын

    This video is gold

  • @beebruns2023
    @beebruns20233 жыл бұрын

    courage pour tout ce travail ,merci pour le partage

  • @matthewsweeney2577
    @matthewsweeney25773 жыл бұрын

    That’s a tutorial! Thanks 👍

  • @GoneWildKennels
    @GoneWildKennels3 жыл бұрын

    Great info. Watching you from nw of cochrane

  • @joekuder
    @joekuder3 жыл бұрын

    like your entrance reducers that's what i use and anything else i can find when the need arises

  • @miroslawlaska8885
    @miroslawlaska88853 жыл бұрын

    Super

  • @scottpierson7495
    @scottpierson74953 жыл бұрын

    IAN, thank you for all your info you share, at what point do you pull the queen excluder off? Just curious, as well you must be happy to see all the drone brood.

  • @markspc1
    @markspc13 жыл бұрын

    Great video Ian. I am looking forward for the follow up on the splits; do you put matted queen, virgin queen, queen cell or just let the bees make their own queen cell. Thks.

  • @carlosrobado
    @carlosrobado3 жыл бұрын

    Hi Ian, How do you deal with all extra cells if they start to emerge...??? Carlos

  • @armanpoloyan570
    @armanpoloyan5703 жыл бұрын

    Hello Mr. Ian,my question is what happens to the queen when you are shaking her from brood frame.Thanks

  • @CoolhandLuke27
    @CoolhandLuke273 жыл бұрын

    Does using honey supers as a temporary brood hatching box have any downsides? I was always told to try not let your queen lay in your honey supers, as it darkens those nice white frames used for extraction.

  • @matthewpicard1942
    @matthewpicard19423 жыл бұрын

    Hi Ian, when you pull the split off, you mentioned you give the original colony another box to lay in, do you also give another box to the split off hive as well?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes but after the queen starts laying

  • @BeesBikinis

    @BeesBikinis

    3 жыл бұрын

    Great question

  • @Littlecanadianbeekeeper
    @Littlecanadianbeekeeper3 жыл бұрын

    Hello Ian. Why did you not add a queen excluder on the last 2 hives when you added honey boxs?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Those last 2 hives did not yield a split, they go straight to the flow. I allow the queen full reign of 2 boxes for all of June before the summer flow. When I take my split or skim the brood from the others, they too get or keep that second box and excluders are taken out

  • @texasfriendlybeekeepers8210
    @texasfriendlybeekeepers82102 жыл бұрын

    Awesome Video!! is there a video that you show how to make the shaker tube? thanks

  • @extracrazyguy
    @extracrazyguy3 жыл бұрын

    Im sorry .. ill stop sending arizona wind your direction. Unfortunately we have the 60km wind gusting too here . Best of luck in this crazy year.

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    So it’s your fault !? LOL

  • @andredutoit5340
    @andredutoit53403 жыл бұрын

    Hi Ian, that first single you've opend looked a bit stronger than anticipated. Whould you ever skatter brood frames to make sure they don't swarm?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    On the later round we might pull from the stinger ones yet to help equalize the yards out. But no, I don’t break apart the brood nest. Causes stress

  • @bigt33welder
    @bigt33welder3 жыл бұрын

    How do you keep bears out of your hives?

  • @johncallahan1105
    @johncallahan11053 жыл бұрын

    🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

  • @leoncarpenter958
    @leoncarpenter9583 жыл бұрын

    I know you had some hives that you'd pulled back to requeen because they were weak. Apart from those do all of your hives get split or skimmed or are there some that are right in the middle that will grow without wanting to swarm?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Those single hives that I had shown at the end to which I boxed up, those were chives that did not receive any boost or yield any split,

  • @Cathy24601
    @Cathy246017 ай бұрын

    I recently tried to work with my bees for the first time wearing only garden gloves and it did not go as well as this. I think they knew. They are more calm when I’m fully geared up.

  • @Cathy24601

    @Cathy24601

    7 ай бұрын

    Or I’m more calm when I’m geared up.

  • @RyanMcDonnough
    @RyanMcDonnough3 жыл бұрын

    If the splits are sitting queenless for Saturday, Sunday, and part of Monday, then are you concerned about them creating emergency cells and not accepting the installed cell/virgin? Or do you leave the split over an excluder until Monday when you drop cells?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    That virgin cell that I introduce will kill all emergency cells , as a virgin would

  • @drewistheone1
    @drewistheone13 жыл бұрын

    When you strengthen a hive or split or grow, are you adding more hives. (Example: the year you started with one hundred box of bees are you now at two hundred boxes?)

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    No, after sales and after my tough cull out, the nucs that I make this year will be used for next year’s sales and cull out

  • @user-cr1sz3xk4s
    @user-cr1sz3xk4s3 жыл бұрын

    I ask you to translate this video and the last videos so that I can benefit from them because I am from Egypt. Thank you

  • @tomislavlezaic3627
    @tomislavlezaic3627 Жыл бұрын

    Hey man, you saved me a bunch of time in May/June, i can make 100 nukes in two days alone. Thanks and let it flow. Salute from Croatia

  • @colecrick7223
    @colecrick72233 жыл бұрын

    If I am not concerned about honey and priority #1 is to get my numbers up how far would you push making splits having mated Queens ready to drop in? I feel like in Canada there are varying answers on this due to our shorter season.

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    2 жыл бұрын

    Don’t push too hard or you will compromise the crop. During the split I try to hold at 4 frames of brood

  • @tritonewr4054
    @tritonewr40543 жыл бұрын

    Your almost two weeks early on the splits. Are you anticipating the flow to start earlier as well? Am asking because leaving your usual 4 frames of brood in the bottom to peak after the flow starts, last week of June. If the flow starts last week of June again, will your hive peak to soon?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Very good point. Yes you might be right, I might have the hives peak too soon, If needed I’ll have to pull them down again but for the most part I think I’m on target, canola being sewed right now

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    But... you are probably right lol

  • @GenYGaming
    @GenYGaming3 жыл бұрын

    When you shake open brood or larvae you are not worried about kill them? or it is so small of a lose that it doesn't matter?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    No losses

  • @dusanjevtic1566
    @dusanjevtic15663 жыл бұрын

    I use a similar method of work

  • @TylerJSpry
    @TylerJSpry3 жыл бұрын

    Another equalization round in a couple weeks before the flow?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Equalization before the flow

  • @sylvain-paulcote5470
    @sylvain-paulcote54703 жыл бұрын

    It's so windy they had to anchor down the trucks! 😂😂😂

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Lol

  • @HivesToHome
    @HivesToHome3 жыл бұрын

    What is the timing of this action relative to a benchmark bloom (like dandelion) so that it can be applied here?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    3 жыл бұрын

    Dandelion and apple are blooming

  • @HivesToHome

    @HivesToHome

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@aCanadianBeekeepersBlog Thank you

  • @munibungbeeking1719
    @munibungbeeking17193 жыл бұрын

    Yo first comment

  • @munibungbeeking1719
    @munibungbeeking17193 жыл бұрын

    Haven’t got a spare 18min yet but

  • @davidcassity6593
    @davidcassity65933 жыл бұрын

    I’ve watched lots of your videos. You never go more than 2 boxes. Is that why you never see overly defensive bees in your bees?

  • @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    @aCanadianBeekeepersBlog

    2 жыл бұрын

    Cold Canada keeps everything nice and happy for temperament

  • @johnoliver9885
    @johnoliver98853 жыл бұрын

    I am a backyard beekeeper who’s motivation is to repopulate our area with feral bees (ok bees that may become feral) anyway I have had two swarms so far and even though I have warned my neighbours (and there is a huge pasture across the street) they are all freaking out! The price you pay.

  • @RyanMcDonnough

    @RyanMcDonnough

    3 жыл бұрын

    Apis mellifera is not native to North America. There is no need to “repopulate” your area with them. You’re probably just creating mite bombs...which harm managed colonies, feral colonies, and native pollinators. 🤷🏼‍♂️

  • @framcesmoore

    @framcesmoore

    3 жыл бұрын

    They will just die

  • @johnoliver9885

    @johnoliver9885

    3 жыл бұрын

    Horseshit my bees are winter bees. I am trying to help the environment “they will just die” is a possibility but at least they will live or die on their terms. Negativity is a good enough excuse for most people to stop trying. I am not one of those.

  • @RyanMcDonnough

    @RyanMcDonnough

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@johnoliver9885 Easy there, big guy. It’s clear that you don’t understand honey bee physiology because you seem to not understand what winter bees ARE. You seem to also not understand the science as it relates to the varroa/virus complex and how it affects other colonies and native pollinators. Sad. You should make an effort to inform yourself. In the meantime, take a good hard look at your confirmation bias: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias Good luck.

  • @johnoliver9885

    @johnoliver9885

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@RyanMcDonnough Seriously I am a “big guy” but your presumptions for my knowledge of honeybees is really prejudiced by your locked in lack of intelligence as a prima donna.

  • @miroslawlaska8885
    @miroslawlaska88853 жыл бұрын

    Super

  • @miroslawlaska8885
    @miroslawlaska88853 жыл бұрын

    Super