Making Spring Splits and Nucleus Colonies Lloyd Spear

Why Make Splits? 1. Increase number of hives 2. Replace dead hives 3. Replace drone laying hive, etc. 4. For sale or donation 5. Educational and fun

Equipment needed 1. Hive body 2. Inner and outer covers 3. Bottom board Or Nuc box (Instead of above) 4. NEW QUEEN 5. Extra frames Optional…Frame feeder

When to make splits? May-July

Choose a donor hive 1. Minimum of 4 frames of eggs, larvae, and sealed brood 2. Hive should be robust with no signs of disease or weakness

Methods of making splits 1. Basic split 2. Lazy split 3. “Wow” split

Basic Split Select the hive to split Remove a frame of brood Look for queen. If do not find queen, set frame aside and choose another frame Continue until find queen Set frame with queen aside Put 2 frames with accompanying bees into new box Shake bees from one more frame of brood into new box

Basic Split (continued) Take one frame of honey from end and put in new box. Be sure original box has at least one frame of honey If possible, put two frames of empty drawn comb into new box Put comb with queen back into original box Replace all combs taken with frames and foundation

Lazy Split Equipment needed: 1. Queen Excluder 2. New box of same size as parent colony To make split: 1. Remove two frames of brood from center of box and set aside 2. Remove one frame of sealed honey from end of box and put in new box of same size as parent hive. 3. Quickly look for queen on 1st frame set aside. If she is not found, shake all bees into original box. Repeat for 2nd frame.

Lazy Split (continued) 4. If possible (hives with more than one brood box) take two empty drawn frames and put in new box. 5. Replace frames taken with new frames with foundation. 6. Frames in new box should have brood in center, honey on outside, and empty drawn frames in between. 7. Put queen excluder on parent box. 8. Put new box on top of excluder.

“Wow” Split 1. Between June 1-15, find a strong hive. At least 6 frames of brood, and preferably more. 2. Find frame with queen and set aside. 3. Take 100% of remaining eggs, larvae and sealed brood and move to new location. Can be in same yard. 4. Put queen into new box on old location, and fill box with new frames and foundation.