How To Split A Bee Hive: A Complete Guide For Beekeepers

Splitting a bee hive is an essential skill for beekeepers looking to expand their apiaries, prevent swarming, or create new colonies. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of how to split a bee hive, covering everything from preparation to aftercare. Whether you’re a novice beekeeper or an experienced apiarist, you’ll find valuable insights to help you successfully divide your colonies and grow your beekeeping operation.

Introduction

Bee hive splitting is a technique used by beekeepers to create new colonies from existing ones. It involves dividing a strong, healthy colony into two or more separate units, each capable of developing into a full-fledged hive. Splitting hives is not only a cost-effective way to increase the number of colonies in your apiary but also a crucial method for managing hive health and preventing swarming.

In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of how to split a bee hive, including the best times to split, various methods, and essential considerations to ensure success. By the end of this article, you’ll have the knowledge and confidence to perform your own hive splits and take your beekeeping skills to the next level.

Understanding Bee Hive Splitting

What is a hive split?

A hive split, also known as a colony split or artificial swarm, is the process of dividing a single bee colony into two or more separate units. Each new unit typically consists of bees, brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae), honey, pollen, and either a queen or the resources to create one. The goal is to create new, viable colonies that can grow and thrive independently.

Why split a bee hive?

There are several compelling reasons to split a bee hive:

Increase colony numbers: Splitting allows beekeepers to expand their apiaries without purchasing new bees.
Prevent swarming: By dividing a crowded hive, you can reduce the likelihood of bees swarming and leaving the hive.
Improve genetics: Splitting provides an opportunity to raise new queens and introduce genetic diversity.
Manage pests and diseases: Creating breaks in the brood cycle can help control varroa mites and other pests.
Produce nucleus colonies (nucs): Splits can be used to create small starter colonies for sale or future expansion.

When is the best time to split a hive?

Timing is crucial when splitting bee hives. The ideal time to split depends on several factors:

Spring splits: Most beekeepers prefer to split hives in mid to late spring when colonies are naturally building up and resources are abundant.
Local climate: Consider your area’s nectar flow and weather patterns when deciding when to split.
Colony strength: Only split strong, healthy colonies with plenty of bees, brood, and resources.
Drone availability: Ensure there are sufficient drones in the area for new queens to mate with.
Beekeeper’s goals: Your specific objectives (e.g., swarm prevention, increase colony numbers) may influence timing.

As a general rule, aim to split hives about 4-6 weeks before the main nectar flow in your area. This gives the new colonies time to establish themselves and take advantage of the incoming resources.

Preparing for a Hive Split

Essential equipment for splitting a bee hive

Before you begin the splitting process, gather the following equipment:

Protective gear (bee suit, gloves, veil)
Hive tool and smoker
New hive components (bottom board, brood boxes, frames, inner cover, outer cover)
Queen excluder (optional)
Marking pen or tags for record-keeping
Feeders for sugar syrup
Queen cages (if introducing purchased queens)

Assessing hive strength before splitting

Not all hives are suitable candidates for splitting. To ensure success, evaluate your colony’s strength:

Population: The hive should be bustling with bees, covering at least 8-10 frames in a single deep box.
Brood pattern: Look for a solid brood pattern with plenty of eggs, larvae, and capped brood.
Food stores: Ensure there’s enough honey and pollen to support both the original colony and the split.
Queen performance: The existing queen should be laying well and producing a strong, healthy colony.
Disease and pest levels: Check for signs of diseases or excessive pest infestations.

Choosing the right method for your needs

There are several methods for splitting a bee hive, each with its own advantages. Consider your goals, experience level, and resources when selecting a method:

Walk-away split: Simple and hands-off, but slower to establish.
Controlled split with purchased queen: Faster establishment but requires purchasing a queen.
Nucleus colony (nuc) split: Creates smaller, more manageable units.

We’ll explore each of these methods in detail in the following sections.

Step-by-Step Guide to Splitting a Bee Hive

Walk-away split method

The walk-away split is the simplest method for how to split a bee hive, relying on the bees to raise their own queen. Here’s how to do it:

Prepare a new hive setup with frames of drawn comb or foundation.
Open the original hive and locate the queen. Set aside the frame she’s on.
Move 3-4 frames of brood (ensure some contain eggs and young larvae) to the new hive.
Add 1-2 frames of honey and pollen to the new hive.
Shake additional nurse bees from 2-3 frames into the new hive.
Fill both hives with empty frames or foundation.
Close up both hives and reduce their entrances.
Move the new hive to a different location, at least 3 feet away.

The queenless split will raise a new queen from the young brood provided. This method is easy but takes longer for the new colony to establish itself.

Controlled split with purchased queen

For a faster colony establishment, you can introduce a purchased queen to your split:

Follow steps 1-7 from the walk-away split method.
Order a mated queen from a reputable supplier.
When the queen arrives, install her in a queen cage in the new hive.
Place the cage between two frames of brood, candy-end up.
Check the hive after 3-5 days to ensure the queen has been released and accepted.

This method reduces the time the split is queenless, allowing for faster colony development.

Nucleus colony (nuc) split

Creating nucleus colonies is an excellent way to make multiple smaller splits:

Prepare 5-frame nuc boxes for each split you plan to make.
In each nuc, place:
- 1-2 frames of brood (with eggs and young larvae)
- 1 frame of honey and pollen
- 1-2 frames of drawn comb or foundation
Shake extra nurse bees into each nuc.
Either allow the nucs to raise their own queens or introduce purchased queens.
Close the nucs and move them to new locations.

Nucs are versatile and can be used for various purposes, such as raising queens, selling starter colonies, or growing into full-sized hives.

Managing Queenless Splits

How bees create a new queen

In queenless splits, worker bees will raise a new queen from young larvae:

Workers select several young larvae (less than 3 days old).
They enlarge the cells and feed the larvae royal jelly.
After about 16 days, new virgin queens emerge.
The first queen to emerge often kills her rivals.
The surviving queen takes mating flights and begins laying eggs about a week later.

Introducing a purchased queen

If you opt to introduce a purchased queen:

Keep the queen in her cage upon arrival.
Remove the cork from the candy end of the cage.
Place the cage between two frames of brood, candy-end up.
Check after 3-5 days to ensure the queen has been released.
If not released, manually release her onto a frame of brood.

Monitoring queen acceptance and development

Whether the split raises its own queen or you introduce one, monitor the process:

Check for queen cells in splits raising their own queens.
Look for signs of queen acceptance, such as bees attending to the queen.
After 2-3 weeks, look for evidence of egg-laying.
Observe the brood pattern to assess queen quality.
If no queen is present or laying after 4 weeks, consider requeening.

Common Challenges When Splitting Bee Hives

Dealing with robbing behavior

Newly split hives are vulnerable to robbing by stronger colonies:

Reduce entrance sizes on new splits.
Avoid spilling sugar syrup or honey during feeding.
Consider using robbing screens on weaker colonies.
Avoid opening hives unnecessarily during times of dearth.

Preventing drift between split hives

Bees from the new split may return to the original hive location:

Move the new split at least 3 feet away, preferably to a new apiary.
If keeping splits in the same yard, use different colored hives or entrance markers.
Place branches or other obstacles in front of new hive entrances to encourage reorientation.

Managing weak splits

Sometimes splits may struggle to build up:

Ensure the split has sufficient bees, especially nurse bees.
Provide supplemental feeding with sugar syrup and pollen patties.
Consider combining weak splits or boosting them with resources from stronger colonies.
Protect weak splits from extreme weather conditions.

After the Split: Care and Monitoring

Feeding newly split hives

Proper nutrition is crucial for the success of new splits:

Provide 1:1 sugar syrup to stimulate wax production and brood rearing.
Offer pollen patties or pollen substitute if natural pollen is scarce.
Continue feeding until the colony is strong and natural forage is abundant.

Inspecting for successful queen rearing or acceptance

Regular inspections are essential to ensure the split is progressing well:

Check for queen cells or a laying queen, depending on your split method.
Look for eggs and young larvae as signs of a successful queen.
Assess the brood pattern for quality and consistency.
Monitor the colony’s growth and resource accumulation.

Building up split colonies for winter

Prepare your splits for the challenges of winter:

Ensure the colony has a robust population of winter bees.
Check that there are sufficient honey stores (typically 60-80 pounds for a full-sized colony).
Combine weak splits or provide resources from stronger colonies if necessary.
Consider using winter wraps or insulation in colder climates.
Implement varroa mite treatments to ensure healthy winter bees.

Advanced Hive Splitting Techniques

Multiple splits from a single hive

For rapid apiary expansion, you can create multiple splits from one strong colony:

Divide the original hive into 3-4 smaller units.
Ensure each split has a good mix of brood, bees, and resources.
Either allow the splits to raise their own queens or introduce purchased queens.
Provide extra care and feeding to these smaller units.

Vertical splits

Vertical splits involve dividing a hive vertically rather than moving frames to a new box:

Place a queen excluder between two brood boxes.
Ensure the queen is in the bottom box.
After a week, separate the boxes and place them side by side.
The queenless box will raise a new queen.
This method minimizes disturbance and reduces lifting.

Checkerboarding method

Checkerboarding is a technique that can be used in conjunction with splitting:

In early spring, alternate frames of honey with empty drawn comb above the brood nest.
This encourages bees to move up and expand the brood nest.
Once the colony is strong, perform a split using one of the methods described earlier.
Checkerboarding can help prevent swarming and create stronger colonies for splitting.

Benefits of Splitting Bee Hives

Swarm prevention

Splitting hives is an effective way to prevent swarming:

It reduces congestion in the hive.
Splitting satisfies the bees’ natural urge to reproduce.
It allows beekeepers to control the timing and outcome of colony reproduction.

Increase in colony numbers

Splitting is a cost-effective way to expand your apiary:

Create new colonies without purchasing packages or nucs.
Double or triple your colony numbers each season.
Produce excess bees for sale or to help other beekeepers.

Genetic diversity and queen rearing

Splitting provides opportunities to improve your stock:

Raise queens from your best-performing colonies.
Introduce new genetics by purchasing queens from different sources.
Select for desirable traits such as honey production, gentleness, or disease resistance.

Potential Risks and How to Mitigate Them

Failed queen mating or acceptance

Sometimes, new queens fail to mate successfully or are not accepted by the colony:

Ensure there are sufficient drones in the area for mating.
Protect virgin queens from extreme weather during mating flights.
When introducing purchased queens, follow proper introduction techniques.
Always have a backup plan, such as extra queen cells or purchased queens.

Weakened colonies

Splitting can temporarily weaken both the original colony and the split:

Only split strong, healthy colonies.
Ensure both halves have sufficient resources.
Provide supplemental feeding as needed.
Monitor for signs of stress or disease in the weeks following the split.

Pest and disease management in split hives

Splits can be more vulnerable to pests and diseases:

Monitor varroa mite levels closely and treat if necessary.
Be vigilant for signs of diseases such as American Foulbrood or Nosema.
Maintain good hygiene practices when working with splits.
Consider using screened bottom boards to help with varroa control.

Splitting Bee Hives for Different Beekeeping Goals

Splits for honey production

When splitting for honey production:

Perform splits early in the season to allow for population buildup.
Use methods that minimize disruption to the main production colony.
Consider reuniting splits with the main colony before the main honey flow.

Splits for pollination services

If you’re splitting hives for pollination contracts:

Time splits to coincide with crop bloom times.
Focus on creating strong, populous colonies.
Ensure splits have young, vigorous queens to maximize brood production.

Splits for queen rearing and bee sales

When splitting for queen rearing or nuc sales:

Start early to have queens and nucs ready for spring sales.
Use your best-performing colonies as breeder queens.
Implement a systematic approach to produce consistent, high-quality queens or nucs.

Seasonal Considerations for Hive Splitting

Spring splits

Spring is the most common time for splitting hives:

Wait until colonies are strong and resources are abundant.
Align splits with natural colony growth and swarming instincts.
Take advantage of spring nectar flows for rapid colony buildup.

Summer splits

Summer splits can be successful in areas with long seasons:

Be mindful of potential nectar dearths and provide supplemental feeding if needed.
Use caution to prevent robbing behavior.
Ensure splits have time to build up before winter.

Fall splits and overwintering preparations

While less common, fall splits are possible in some regions:

Only attempt fall splits if there’s sufficient time for colony establishment before winter.
Provide extra resources and care to ensure winter survival.
Consider using fall splits to create nucleus colonies for overwintering.

Record Keeping for Successful Hive Splits

Tracking split dates and methods

Maintain detailed records of your splitting activities:

Note the date of each split.
Record the method used (e.g., walk-away, introduced queen).
Document the resources given to each split (frames of brood, honey, etc.).

Monitoring colony development

Keep track of how your splits progress:

Record queen emergence or acceptance dates.
Note when egg-laying begins.
Track population growth and resource accumulation.
Document any interventions or treatments applied.

Using data to improve future splits

Analyze your records to refine your splitting techniques:

Identify which methods were most successful in your apiary.
Determine optimal timing for splits in your local climate.
Adjust resource allocation based on past successes and failures.
Use data to select the best breeder colonies for future splits
Compare the performance of splits made with different queen sources (e.g., self-raised vs. purchased).
Evaluate the long-term success rates of splits in terms of overwintering and honey production.
Share your data with other local beekeepers to identify regional trends and best practices.

By carefully analyzing your splitting data, you can continually improve your techniques and increase your success rate. This iterative process will help you become a more skilled and efficient beekeeper over time.

Conclusion

Learning how to split a bee hive is an essential skill for beekeepers looking to expand their apiaries, prevent swarming, or improve their colony management techniques. By following the guidelines and methods outlined in this comprehensive guide, you’ll be well-equipped to perform successful hive splits and grow your beekeeping operation.

Remember that splitting bee hives is both an art and a science. While the basic principles remain consistent, you’ll need to adapt your approach based on your local climate, the specific needs of your colonies, and your personal beekeeping goals. Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts aren’t perfect – each split provides an opportunity to learn and improve your skills.

As you gain experience with splitting hives, you’ll develop a better understanding of your bees’ behavior and needs. This knowledge will not only make you a more successful beekeeper but will also deepen your appreciation for these fascinating insects and the complex societies they create.

Whether you’re splitting hives to increase your colony numbers, produce nucs for sale, or simply to enjoy the satisfaction of creating new bee colonies, the skills you’ve learned in this guide will serve you well. So grab your hive tool, put on your bee suit, and get ready to take your beekeeping to the next level by mastering the art of splitting bee hives.

FAQs About Splitting Bee Hives

How often can I split a bee hive? You can typically split a strong, healthy hive once per year. Some experienced beekeepers may split multiple times in a season, but this requires careful management and ideal conditions.
Can I split a first-year hive? It’s generally not recommended to split a first-year hive. These colonies need time to establish themselves and build up resources for their first winter.
What’s the minimum size a hive should be before splitting? A hive should have at least 8-10 frames of bees and brood before considering a split. Stronger colonies with 12-14 frames are ideal candidates.
How long does it take for a split to become a full-sized colony? With proper care and favorable conditions, a split can grow into a full-sized colony in 2-3 months. However, this can vary based on the initial split size, queen quality, and available resources.
Should I feed a newly split hive? Yes, it’s a good idea to feed newly split hives, especially if nectar flow is limited. Provide 1:1 sugar syrup and pollen patties to support colony growth.
Can I split a hive in the fall? Fall splits are possible in areas with long growing seasons, but they’re riskier. Ensure the split has enough time to build up resources before winter.
How do I know if my split was successful? A successful split will show signs of a laying queen (eggs and young larvae) within 3-4 weeks. The colony should also be increasing in population and storing resources.
What should I do if my split fails to produce a queen? If your split fails to produce a queen after 4 weeks, you can either introduce a purchased queen or combine the split with another colony.
Can I split a hive without finding the queen? Yes, you can perform a split without locating the queen. Ensure both halves have eggs and young larvae, allowing the queenless half to raise a new queen.
How many frames should I use for a nuc split? A typical nuc split uses 5 frames: 2-3 frames of brood, 1-2 frames of honey and pollen, and 1 frame of drawn comb or foundation.

By addressing these common questions, beekeepers can feel more confident in their ability to successfully split bee hives and manage their growing apiaries. Remember that each beekeeping situation is unique, so always be prepared to adapt your methods based on the specific needs of your colonies and local conditions.