How To Split Your Beehive With Queen Cells

Рет қаралды 116,281

4 жыл бұрын

Making Splits with Queen Cells - How to Split your Beehive - How to Split Bees - Splitting Bees
In this video, I show you how to make a simple split, if you find queen cells in your hive. If you want to know how to split your bees or how to split your beehive, this video gives you simple guidance to help you making splits with queen cells.
If you find swarm cells and you want to know how to split your beehive, this video will show you how to make a nuc with your mated queen and leave queen cells in your new hive.
Swarm cells are a useful way of producing mated queens without a dedicated queen rearing set up.
We use various queen rearing methods, but making splits with queen cells is an excellent way of making queens without grafting.
Queen rearing for beginners can be really challenging, so making splits with queen cells is a great way to make increases, without the need for mated postal queens or grafting.
Making a nuc with the mated queen and leaving the queen cells in the hive to produce a virgin queen is the standard approach to making splits. How to split a beehive is a really useful skill to help you make increase in the apiary.
When you are adding queen cells to nucs or adding queen cells to splits, be careful with the frames so the larvae aren't dislodged.
My method on how to split a colony of bees or how to split a beehive gives you the ability to make increase in your apiary using very little resources.
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Пікірлер: 116

@veragiles981 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for such a clear video. Now I need to check my hives for capped honey frames acting like a follower board!! Live and learn!

@robertfranc2365 Жыл бұрын

Absolute gold. Well done mate.

@robcrickett 2 жыл бұрын

Just brilliant Lawrence. I have made your underfloor entrances for our hives here in the monastery, and also I loved your magnifying of the cells and eggs-embryo in another clip of yours. Your teachings are soooo good!

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

Ah thanks Rob! You have made my day :D

@ordinaryguy6869 3 жыл бұрын

Great instructional video. Thank you.

@philipbarker7672 Ай бұрын

Nice one Lawrence brilliant as always

@beebob1279 Жыл бұрын

Excellent demonstration

@JohnStraussmusic Жыл бұрын

That was a great video - thanks for sharing

@ericbussert8170 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent, I had to do something similar here today as well. Your stream apiary sounds like a good place relax after working your bees.

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

It's a really lovely spot!

@TalRohan 4 жыл бұрын

I like it...nice and simple , no complicated stuff and succinct. Great video.

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the video.

@razaullah4261 Жыл бұрын

Plz your mobile no

@wes3479 Жыл бұрын

Great video. I have known this to be called a walk away split. I’m in the US. I just did this to 3 of my hives last week.

@richdaly8756 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

@grahamkingsland 4 жыл бұрын

Great video. I am quite new to all this so following with interest. Lots to learn!

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Graham. Glad you enjoyed it

@eternall87 3 жыл бұрын

what a star you are mate! this video has given me the solution I was looking for! love your accent too! haha

@MrJeepmarine 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks!!!

@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642 4 жыл бұрын

Great video I am going to do a split today. Very informative video.

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Cheers Mark. Hope is goes well. Great time to do a split!

@danielharvey8551 9 ай бұрын

Exceptional content, great. Following you from the US, I live on Lake Superior getting ready for winter. Techniques you demonstrate in beekeeping are global. Thank you

@BlackMountainHoney 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Daniel. Really appreciate the kind comments :)

@JOSIANGREENVLOGS 2 жыл бұрын

Very useful video.Expect more such videos

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

Sure 👍

@howardmcadams3852 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Sir

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

All the best

@chrissteinbacher6552 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent video from a fellow 🐝 keeper in North Carolina! I enjoy learning from 🐝 keepers from around the world.

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! Hope you bees are doing well

@paulironmonger5430 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Laurence, another superb video thank you very much. I’ve had a 5 frame nuc in a standard brood box for 2 weeks. Did weekly inspection today expecting to think of adding super, but found 2 queen cells filled with royal jelly (couldn’t see any larvae) which took me by surprise. I have 4 full frames of brood in all stages, 2 full frames of stores, 2 newly drawn frames and 2 undrawn. Because I saw queen, I knocked down the q cells. Not sure where to go with this (new keeper), hence found the vid really informative. Could you please advise me? Thank you. Paul

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Paul. If it were me, I would have pulled them down and monitored going forward. Doesnt sound like they were trying to swarm but it's not unheard of before they fill the box.

@joshuasherrin9238 3 жыл бұрын

Thank for this one. I was taught to leave the queen in the original place so that field bees returned to her and then remove and take all over frames / bees away (as as you did but reverse the boxes). Any harm or better outcome doing it either way? Thanks

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Either way is fine. It doesnt make a massive difference. As long as the boxes are balances with bees, brood and queen/cells then you will be fine.

@davidgarner3171 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, a nice clearly presented video. Is there any chance that the original hive would produce more Queen cells? Or had the queen already stopped laying and so no eggs young enough?

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks David. Highly unlikely they will create emergency cells as they already have a cell to feed. If they do, the first virgin that is a week ahead, will dispatch them all. I always just leave them but you could go back and knock down any additional cells that are formed after 3/4 days. I wouldn't go I'm after the first virgin emerges though

@davidgarner3171 4 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney Thanks. That makes a lot of sense. Hope you have a good season

@seanloughranent Жыл бұрын

Great video. Could you have kept the old queen in the original hive and moved over the queen cell frame

@clarabelbee 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, this is a great video. Do you have to move the nuc more than 3 miles? just wondering as lots of the bees will be nurse bees would they be ok in the same apiary but a different position? And then would they orientate to the new position or would they still fly back?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

I always recommend 3 miles away as it means you dont need to balance the hives any more and can judge the amount of bees at the first pass. In the same apiary, it can work but you always end up with loads of drift and uneven splits. Much better to move them away and bring them back if you can.

@richardevans7248 3 жыл бұрын

Beekeeping blacks an your right no need to move miles away leaving in same yard is fine all field bees will have flown back home before lid is put on leaving queen an nurse bees only moving is fine also should you want to build up more yards

@TheFixIsIn-fe1jy 2 жыл бұрын

You shouldn't be turning the queen cells sideways, you should keep them upright so you don't drown them, keep the cell upright at all times, you don't want to kill the cell before you get it split.

@shaungell4032 12 күн бұрын

Where did you buy the Nucs from? Are those deep brood frames?

@jamestownsendjrtbees3226 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for all the videos, very helpful. When you remove the queen from a large production colony and let them raise a new queen does it reduce honey production or will they carry-on like normal?

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

NP James. Depends on when you do it, but it most instances, Yes, it reduces honey production. There is normally a 3 - week lag though until you see numbers start to reduce if you just remove the queen.

@jamestownsendjrtbees3226 2 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney I figure it's either pull a split with the queen when queen cells show up or they swarm. I am assuming if they swarm honey production would be even less than the split? I have tried buying in queens to introduce back into the big mother hives but it doesn't always work for me and now I have to try to find another queen cell from another colony or just eggs and that slows the process down. I am going to try to keep the queens in their boxes this spring and just pull splits with the queen cells to knock them back and try to stay on top of more queen cells, plus lots of space. Thanks for your time.

@robharry4848 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Lawrence. I have just done this type of manipulation on a hive that was about to swarm. However, I don’t have another apiary at a separate site. The nuc is 3 yards away from the original hive. Is this a problem? What do I need to look out for, or do if so?

@Shakingstevesallotment 4 жыл бұрын

Good video, I however do it slightly differently, move queen and frame of food,and new frames, I dont give brood, as they dont take brood in a normal swarm

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Probably 100 different ways to do it ;) Your way sounds great too! I always give any artificial swarm brood as it means they are effectively 3 weeks ahead of a broodless swarm. No harm in not giving it though :)

@SageandStoneHomestead 3 жыл бұрын

We moved over capped brood in our simulated swarm to help the new colony with population density.

@remyd2130 3 жыл бұрын

hello, and thanks for this video! Question which beehive format do you use? Thank you! Remy from France.

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Remy. I am on the national format

@remyd2130 3 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney ok thanks!👍

@TheStuartYork 3 жыл бұрын

Have you experimented with using either a water spray or a sugar water spray bottle rather than smoke? I started to used sugar water spaying at the end of last season, it definitely settled the girls down. I'll do some comparison inspections next year.

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

When I am on my own I tend not to use anything just for the sake of time. Good idea for a video comparison though. I think genetics plays a big part though. My gentle ones dont need smoke. My angry ones are miserable regardless!

@TheStuartYork 3 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney You're absolutely correct. I bought in 3 High quality queens in May this year, they're so calm and fantastically productive compared with my local Co. Durham dark coloured girls.

@armanbarasjid4932 Жыл бұрын

Do virgin queen mate inside the box or it have to be outside to mate?

@EllieHeard 9 күн бұрын

Do you have to take the nuc so far away, or was that just what you happened to do here?

@gino2465 2 жыл бұрын

Question : when you take the nuc 3 miles away to you block there entrance for a few hours or just leave as normal.

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

Leave as normal when you move 3plus miles

@booboo747 3 ай бұрын

When do you transfer from nuc to hive please ?

@timhull8664 3 жыл бұрын

How long do you leave the colony in the nuc before you transfer to a normal hive.. can you do it straight away?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah you can do it straight away. Just dummy down the hive to suit

@stradz9564 2 жыл бұрын

Please answer. Is it needed to take the new hive that far. Or can I keep it beside the before hive! Like feww metres away. Please answer

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

Live Q and A Comments Stream - 11th Feb

@danielwagner6290 3 жыл бұрын

You forgot to mention where you put the the new box? Do you leave it there or move it somewhere else and where? How far away?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Apologies. Thought I mentioned it. Needs to go to a new apiary IDEALLY. Around 3 miles away minimum. Can do it in the same apiary but I would use a different method for that

@dennistaylor7653 5 ай бұрын

If you were to shake more bees into the queen-rite box, could you take that hive to a closer yard (vs 3 mile)?

@BlackMountainHoney 5 ай бұрын

Ive shaken a FULL box in before and tried to leave in the same apiary and EVERY bee went back. Its hit and miss. Much better taking them away to a new site

@stevenedwards4371 6 ай бұрын

Hi Make a NUC lets say in May, what time of the year would you move it to a permanent hive tx

@BlackMountainHoney 6 ай бұрын

I'd go once it's covering 5 frames of bees in a 6 frame nuc

@TheDanspence 4 жыл бұрын

Off toplic, but, if and when you oxalic acid vape your swienty hives. Does the vape fit through the entrance? I have a swienty 14x12, and they are bee space entrances.

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah the outlet fits through fine. Its about 5mm and the entrance is 8mm. You need to seal around the entrance though as a lot can escape. I use a foam bung.

@TheDanspence 4 жыл бұрын

Great, thanks for that. Also use foam to reduce the entrance if wasps are an issue?

@BlackMountainHoney 4 жыл бұрын

Yes you can do but I find they can protect the Swienty floors quite well if up to strength

@teachbearcop 3 жыл бұрын

What if I don't have a second apiary? Can I still do this?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Yes a lot of flying bees will return to the original hive. Stuff some loose grass in to the entrance to confuse them a bit ;)

@cornerslice 3 жыл бұрын

You gotta keep the frames tightly next to each other to avoid extra comb build up.

@loamette 3 жыл бұрын

About how long should I leave the nuc at the far apiary if I don't have a permanent place to leave them? I'm still finding that if I ask people if I can leave bees on their property, they always want honey as payment. :( I'm just starting out, and only using feral bees. So I won't be getting gallons of honey any time soon!

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

At least 1 round of brood, so min 3 weeks, some will return to the old location but after 3 weeks it will be minimal.

@loamette 3 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney Thanks so much!! I love your videos!

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

@@loamette Glad to hear it! 👂🙏

@Makermook 3 жыл бұрын

Do you feed the nuc for a while since there aren't many foragers bees in it?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Depends on the weather. As long as you move the splits away you cab make an even split. Once a round of brood emerges the number of bees is boosted. Can feed 1:1 syrup if you want to strengthen the queen right half of the split

@KayAteChef 2 жыл бұрын

Recky... Squaddie identified.

@BlackMountainHoney 2 жыл бұрын

I'm very confused 😕

@KayAteChef 2 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney Squaddie unidentified.

@gimmieshelter1597 3 жыл бұрын

Hello...a vídeo to explain to make a Split un the same apiari? Sorry for my ENG. Cheers from Spain..

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Will do. Its on my list :)

@arronbwabw504 Ай бұрын

I have 3 swarm cells, what am I looking for when you speak about the "best" cell?

@BlackMountainHoney Ай бұрын

Preferably open. Largest, longest, most royal jelly, dimpled, nice position on frame so can be protected

@arronbwabw504 Ай бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney thank you for such a quick reply 👍

@roystheboy 3 жыл бұрын

you have 3 of this same video in the play list

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Hmm. That's strange. I dont make playlists but assign each video to one. Ill take a look. Cheers Roy.

@garyhofer8405 2 ай бұрын

Aren't they just super seeding, since the queen cells are on top, I thought swarm cells are on the bottem

@BlackMountainHoney 2 ай бұрын

No that's a common myth. Its all about the number of cells. 1 cell = supersedure Any more than one, its swarming.

@veganactivist8860 2 ай бұрын

why did he say make sure the wheel is closed

@pianohaus 3 жыл бұрын

Marsian

@patdwyer6274 3 жыл бұрын

Original hive will now make emergency cells alongside the cell you left. When the queen emerges from that cell she will swarm leaving lots of those sealed emergency cells in the hive to cast swarms too. You need to go back 6 days after this video and breakdown the emergency cells leaving only your chosen cell to emerge.

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Yes - this is true Pat. We always go back round for a clean up after knocking back. I have included this on future videos :D

@jamescurtis6682 3 жыл бұрын

How successful are you using this method?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

Its really dependent on the weather. This year in the UK all of these splits would have failed. We tend to make splits with mated queens now

@bradgoliphant 3 жыл бұрын

My goodness. I would be fully suited up with those agressive bees as well. Why are they so testy? Have you tried re-queening? Are they Russians or are you working with Africanized bees?

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

This a production apiary where we bred from the best honey producers over temperament. Still some legacy stock left over there. Since moving to grafting from an F0 breeder queen, the different is quite remarkable. 👌

@loamette 3 жыл бұрын

He also mentioned he never smokes. Is there a reason for this? I've heard it does cause the bees to start to gorge on honey, that seems like it would set them back a bit.

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

@@loamette I have actually reverted to smoking now. Especially for videos. Just makes for calmer bees and nicer videos. 👌

@bradgoliphant 3 жыл бұрын

@@BlackMountainHoney I agree with using smoke. There is a reason it has been used by beekeepers all over the world for hundreds of years. Yes, I agree it does cause bees to gorge on honey, but not the entire hive and not always. If you use smoke correctly, like only puffing twice right in-front of the hive, and a couple time on top of the hive, what you are doing is blocking out any alarm pheromones. This is the reason bees seem calmer. And it's helpful for both bees and beekeeper. TIP: Try not to angle your smoker downward into the top of the hive. Just puff smoke over the top of the frames. This way it does not get down in where the queen is. Thanks everyone.

@leandrozuniga5634 3 жыл бұрын

Why are those bees so agressive?

@knifeblanksaustralia 2 жыл бұрын

those bees look really pissed off.

@TH-cl5be 3 жыл бұрын

so was the poor performance of the hive down to the old queen

@222boneal 3 жыл бұрын

If she makes it back from her mating flight that is!

@user-hh5lc8bd6c 8 ай бұрын

Hi ! Long talk , harly understandig what you talk about ! Condense your talk and give it in writing under you sermon / photos / video . ( Sory for my poor English ) . Schlomo .

@keithsteele5580 3 жыл бұрын

They are supercedure cells not swarm cells

@BlackMountainHoney 3 жыл бұрын

I have never bought into the position of cells theory and go by the number. There were 7-8 cells in this colony, therefore in my mind they were trying to swarm. If there is only 1 cell, then regardless of position, I take that as a supercedure.