Beekeeping 101: Swarm Prevention & Splitting Your Hive

Beekeeping 101 is all about how to prevent your overwintered bee hive from swarming and how to make a split. In this video I'll make a split.
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[@_zachreiner_]

David, you have become my favorite Bee guy to watch and learn from. Just wanted to say I appreciate your energy and passion and I am so thankful for all of the things you've taught me over the last couple of months! Thank you for taking the time to create these very helpful videos! As a new beekeeper, you have helped ease a lot of the nerves of jumping into this world! You rock!

[@deankucharski4628]

Thanks

[@nolaray1062]

How far away do you have to take the new split away from the original hive? Is there a minimum distance, or did you just take it farther because you want to establish a new apiary?

[@tomepic]

Awesome Video👍👍🥇🥇👏👏💪💪LIKE 382 Greetings from South Africa You must have a wonderful day

[@mygardenanddinosaurs]

Hi David. I'm a novice Beekeeper in Scotland, UK. You answered several questions for me in this video. I am about to do my first ever split and you showed me how, even if I can't find the queen. I have a super that has brood in it and I now know I can put on a QE and let the brood grow up so I can have it back as a honey super AND I know that it is ok to use a shallow frame in a deep box if needed. Thank you so much for making such useful content. All the best. Mags

[@beek]

Yes, but remember you're drones up there will be trapped, so ever two or three days open it up and let them out. 👍

[@ericscott3194]

Wow!!!!! Gonna need alot of winter bee kinds for alllll winter!!!!

[@Skippyboy2348]

I got my package 3 weeks ago and love watching and learning what I can. If Im lucky ill be able to split next year!!

[@UTsnowsailor]

Love your videos, always learn so much. Thanks

[@beek]

Glad to hear it! Thank you Debby

[@saintjohncoleman8602]

Red pollen in my area in VA in early spring is henbit and dead nettle

[@garyparent6762]

Up here in NJ the bright red pollen comes from the weed we call henbit. It has a purple flower.

[@Jay-qv8hq]

Im getting my first ever package of bees in 2 weeks..so excited. Your channel has been so so informative and fun 😊 thank you

[@beek]

Good luck Jay!

[@wpankey57]

Me too! I’m so excited.

[@agpizz]

Like the Video Bee Army!!!!!!!

[@brianbennett4374]

Enjoy your videos David me my wife and kid did your beginners bee class Thanks for helping us learn. 😊

[@beek]

Hey Brian and family. So glad you guys enjoy my videos.

[@KarenRadditz]

Thanks!

[@beek]

Thank you for the super thanks

[@billyboy952]

David, I am in Indiana and just inspected all my hives for the first time of the year all my hives looked like your with all queens in top box laying eggs and a lot of capped brood. i don't do splits until the night time temps get better. i guess you have jumped the gun just to show people how to do a split this early. I found no queen cells in any of my hives and no reports here about anyone finding swarms yet. next week it will be in 70s all week and the swarms are not far away. happy bee keeping!!

[@melissamusselwhite-sw6jt]

I'm not sure where you're located, but in East Texas, our girls get a beautiful coral, kind of red pollen from the Henbit. 😁💚🐝

[@brianhultquist4281]

I believe the red/pink pollen is Purple Dead Nettle.

[@joetripp123]

Nice video David. Are you running inner covers with the new Bee Smart top covers? Thanks.

[@esthervickers5259]

Thank you. Love the gloves. What are they? Please

[@conradriffle8262]

I only look for small larva in the top and bottom box. and some time move small larva from one box to the other box before putting between the boxes my home made double screen board. The box that ends up with no queen makes lotsof new queens for my split and I use the extra queens for Nucs. Drones are already flying around here in Central Ohio so I'm splitting hives as fast as I can. U Tube = is= beekeeping Ohio Conrad

[@BucksBeesS.C.]

Looked like a med frame in the deep .was that for them laying drone brood?

[@Peter-od7op]

Love your vdo and classes i think i should no this but i dont. If i do hive inspection and find queen cells should i make a split with the queen in that hive

[@sethshortt4315]

David, what a coincidence, I did my first split (EVER!!) on the third of April. That said the red pollen you are seeing is from the Deth Nettle flower. I see it early in the seping

[@beek]

Hi Seth, I cannot see any here but who knows

[@sethshortt4315]

@@beek Its a weed and it grows low to the ground. It usually grows in places where grass isn't.

[@nathanpotter8569]

Had to split mine yesterday

[@BucksBeesS.C.]

Will they draw drown comb on the med. Or is their a chance they make worker?

[@GregS-jg5lr]

those gloves look awesome, what are they and where could you get them? thanks

[@filipvernica258]

I have frames that are from dead colonies that dies and they have white mold on and green, what is your recommendation? Put it on other colony because the frames have pollen and some honey on or use to get swarms on ?

[@Winterlily20]

Do you know where i can buy a package of bees? I live in AZ. Thank you

[@trinettecline9190]

Hi David, I am splitting two of my hives very soon. How far would you say I would need to move my split from the mother hive? I am located in Spokane WA our weather is great, I am splitting and will be adding a new queen not having them requeen. Also how many frames should I move to the split and what should I include in those frames? First year beekeeper and my first split ever. Thanks so much.

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I am worried about my 2 smaller colonies on 4 double deep frames in one Lazutin hive. They weren't basket ball size in Oct. A beech ball is about max size that I have seen. Record and late snows in the U.P. Never leave a frame out and even on used bee keeping equipment too.

[@BucksBeesS.C.]

Are you a bee queen marker or do just go with it. I find when I mark my queen I usually loose her

[@DougMcHone]

I'm getting two 5-frame nucs this spring. If I can get another queen, could I start three colonies from these ten frames?

[@beek]

Depending on where you live, it could be risky thinning out the bees this much.

[@blackberry5908]

Can bad weather prevent bees that wanted to swarm to swarm ?

[@beek]

Usually bees do not swarm in bad weather, but when the weather clears away they go.

[@dannymedford1564]

Can you use that super for a honey super after you've been feeding all winter?

[@beek]

Yuppers

[@vannsfamilyfarms2993]

Where do you store your drawn out com. How do you keep it so bugs 🐛 🙄 do not get in them?

[@beek]

Great question to ask on my livestream tonight (April 20th, 2023) at 7pm central time. Here's the link: kzbin.infobznQVxYar8c

[@troyfrieling9705]

Do you ever notch frames for splitting?

[@beek]

Great question to ask on my livestream tonight (April 20th, 2023) at 7pm central time. Here's the link: kzbin.infobznQVxYar8c

[@wpankey57]

David, do you need to feed that walk-away spilt?

[@beek]

Badl!! 🤣 Watch my newest video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHWQhnmDq8-LfLc

[@BucksBeesS.C.]

No inner cover or the silver insulation that alot of us use instead. Just a top?

[@beek]

Been my practice for many many years.

[@greatpyr3245]

I read that you should move the split 3 miles away so they reorientate to the new location. Is that not necessary? I'm planning a split in the next week and can only move them about 600 feet.

[@beek]

I'm hoping my golf cart forces them to take a new orientation flight.

[@brianw.520]

Why do you put a super frame in a deep box?

[@BucksBeesS.C.]

What are the gloves you are using in this video and how to get and how much?

[@beek]

Glove link in the description

[@loudimel5068]

I noticed no food stores ,are you going to feed them

[@beek]

That hive was OUT of food and I'll show you how I solved that in my video tomorrow.

[@slava790]

David, you did not increase space too much in the original hive and did not find the queen. If the queen is in the original hive and did not get much space for laying then wouldn't it swarm?

[@beek]

Yes, that's why I looked for queen cells. I'll check my split in a few days for the queen, and that will be the easy wait to know where she is. I'll look forward to splitting this hive once or twice more and then I'll move the queen if necessary.

[@Zarealy]

I've heard that that pinkish pollen coming in right now is dead nettle.

[@brianhultquist4281]

I agree. Numerous in many farm fields

[@zulikkowalski3547]

You have drones there already?

[@beek]

We've had drones for many weeks.

[@zulikkowalski3547]

@@beek That's good news, My climate is similar to yours. I found my queen dead outside the hive on Feb 28th. I found a hatched Qc in there 2 weeks ago and some ripped out QCs. I put in another frame of brood, and they drew out some QCs on that. I was worried that there wouldn't beany drones for mating, but you have given me hope. I haven't seen any, but hopefully they are out there. The hive still has a lot of bees.

[@watchtower4870]

Started watching your vids, because I have had wild bees on our small 2 acre farm for more than 29 years. I never even thought about “keeping bees” but, last winter we had a hive form on a piece of equipment that we had to use before winter was really over. Well. The hive died, before we had a hive come inn. So…. Dad and I felt bad… for the bees. Didn’t want to kill them. Lol! So our hive got here and we missed the window to move them before they died. I personally only want two hives. How does one just keep two hives? Because bees obviously do so so well where I live in this climate. Got me wondering if I would be “queen heavy” because resources are so abundant. With mostly mild and short winters.

[@beek]

You can manage two hives fine, and if they are prolific, you can make a split or just let them swarm.

[@watchtower4870]

Thanks, that’s what I was thinking. Just have to let them swarm. Maybe someday look into selling queens. Thanks again sir.

[@joeelam1]

Silver Maple has pollen

[@kipglass6222]

I would have waited 2 weeks to have split that colony. It was not very strong and did not show any inclination to being even close to swarming. But I understand, want to show people how to split. Got to be the first.

[@user-tx9gf3it5t]

We need sponsoreds

[@mamakat4308]

@17:45 it seemed difficult to push in the frame, why is that? Yes I am a first year bee haver... lol😂

[@beek]

Propolis get's built up on the ears/edges of the frames.