Splitting Bee Hive "Stan": Walk Away Splits

[@VtPapa]

Glad to hear you comment about the small hive beetles. So many beekeepers just let the wax fly off and don’t bother to clean it up, they don’t understand how much new beekeepers follow their bad habits. O buy the way if I where close enough I’d help pick up the morale mess bet they don’t go to waste at your house. Thanks again for sharing. I just had a swarm move into an open hive hope to split it soon, I’m going to keep an eye on it.

[@JCsBees]

All my close friends always ask to go morel hunting with me but I turn them down. I have one spot I check yearly and it gives me enough to get my fix for the season. If I had more time to hunt them I'd probably bring along a friend but the farm is demanding and keeps me busy. Good luck with the swarm.

[@jamescraig8601]

I love cleaning those messes up too.

[@edmartin875]

Can't say as I have ever seen morels in such a thick patch. Looks like you won the lottery. Enjoyed the video. Thank you for sharing.

[@JCsBees]

Glad you enjoyed it! I about fell over when I stepped into my morel spot and found all them. They sure were good eating!!

[@dylanhuntington8187]

ive got that same hive tool love it, nice morels too

[@JCsBees]

It's been my go to hive tool for years. Thanks, they were good eatin!

[@Beekeper-MD]

Thank you for a great video. I noticed you didn't move your spits to a different area. Is it your experience that it does not matter? I've been hearing different opinions. I am going into my second year and will have to do a split soon.

[@JCsBees]

Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. The "3 foot or 3 mile" rule is what you're speaking of, it's a great rule for beginners to follow. It does hold some truth. By moving the colonies more than 3 miles the colonies would keep their forager Bees. As where doing it the way I did in this video the foragers always return to the hive location they have memorized. The goal when making splits like this is to make sure each split has lots of nurse bees. otherwise, once the foragers return to the old location their won't be enough bees to manage brood. Hope this helps!

[@tonyc44]

Wow nice looking morels

[@kh7794]

That was the smoothest splits I've seen. Usually beekeepers are missing things throughout the whole video and contemplate contemplate contemplate....and that's fine. Just pretty odd to see someone who makes quick decisions and doesn't have to remember to 'bring over' 10 things they forgot!! Smooth as silk

[@JCsBees]

Thanks. Glad I made it look smooth. 😉

[@wilmafeuerstein434]

Working with deep frames and boxes only makes beekeeping so much easier.

[@JCsBees]

So true!

[@gene-sloca]

Glad to see your videos. Do more please

[@michaeljricke611]

Good vid, neighbor. I had to add some supers to my nucs the last week of March (Reynoldsburg/Pataskala). I have hives that are all nuc boxes. An old man told me it was easier on his back and it's more like a tree cavity. I have some that are 6-7 high right now. One of the quickest ramp ups I've seen in 6 years.I did a couple splits the same day you did. Hope our county inspector comes out in the next month! Keep the content coming! PS- I'm getting another side of beef from Gordon in June.

[@JCsBees]

Hey bud, glad you enjoyed the video. I prefer nucs over 10 framers for many reason, one being that they mimic a tree cavity in size. Do you have your boxes strapped down? With the storms we've had I'd hate for them to blow over. I stopped waiting on the inspector, I do what I have to do. PS- That's great to hear. Glad your enjoying the beef. You've become a very good customer and we appreciate that.

[@michaeljricke611]

​@@JCsBees Barry Conrad was who I talked to when I was starting out. He told me to strap them down. I use ratchet straps and secure them to the stand. Works great.

[@mjhabitat6437]

my hives in Newark look the same made splits last Monday good luck happy beekeeping

[@JCsBees]

Newark, huh? Wow, your really close to me. The colonies are exploding this year. Best of luck with your bees!

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Good to see you back in the bee yard . Hope you have a great season an bee population for splits . Thanks

[@JCsBees]

Thanks, you too!

[@danweaver2049]

Gotta love Morels during Trout season.

[@JCsBees]

Wish I had time to fish. Enjoy!!

[@michaelfike7542]

Working on swarm #8 in north alabama. First swarm was March 8th a month early here. Went through the boxes and removed swarm cells and they built them back in less than a week. Going to be a swarm year no matter what you do.

[@JCsBees]

I agree, the swarming is due to everything bloom early. I've never seen the bees build up so fast!

[@sentimentalbloke7586]

Just walk along your boxes and listen the quietest box has the queen.

[@Brian.N]

Great video

[@JCsBees]

Glad you enjoyed it, Brian. I need you to email me you address and T-shirt size, you were one of the Hive Alive winners. Congrats!!

[@davidscottboring940]

Those are pretty mellow bees!

[@JCsBees]

Agreed! They were super calm. Hope they stay that way.

[@tarheelbeekeeper3971]

Nice shroom patch, good split on Stan till next time

[@sharonc.2207]

Northwest mo here, I opened up my big hive on March 29th and heard multiple virgin queen piping and found three ripe queen cells. I did a walkaway split. However, my new hive and the original hive soon went queenless as it was too early for them to find viable drones from other colonies in the area... currently I am waiting for both of these colonies to try again using frames of eggs from my other hives... maybe by mid may they will be successful in mating their new queens this time...

[@JCsBees]

Best of luck. If you don't see queen cells soon, I would order mated queens. Good luck!!

[@sigurjonhelgason8943]

I'm little bit behind you but it's looking good this spring

[@JCsBees]

Keep an eye on your bees, if you get the explosion of blooms we have, they will build up very fast.

[@salembeeman370]

Nice Video Jason.

[@JCsBees]

Thanks!

[@VtPapa]

O Jason I forgot to mention that you should shake the mess around where you found them so to spread the seed. I’ve done that for years and have been fortunate to have a new crop growing every year. Back to my bees 🐝 I lost them over the winter and didn’t have funds to replace them so I baited an empty clean hive with lemon grass oil. It worked great and I now have a strong hive and will look at them Thursday hope to split them if they have a queen cell or two. I may try a two frame nucleus like Dave does on his channel at Barnyard Bees. What do you think about that? I’m Jim at the Green Bee Farm.

[@JCsBees]

I always leave the roots of morels, I do know spores fall of and help spread them. Good eating for sure. Love my morels. Two framers are nice if you have time to watch them. My experience is they can out grow the 2 frame box very fast. Good luck!!

[@DeanGoedel]

Good video thanks

[@JCsBees]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@BestBuzzHoneyBees]

This early warm weather has my Bee yards unpredictable. I had my earliest swarm ever this year during the first week of March and they have been packing supers very quickly. How do like the plastic bellow for the smoke and is it stiffer to pump than the common leather one?

[@JCsBees]

I have a feeling It's gonna be a crazy year. Hope your able to get your bees on track. I prefer the soft rubber over the leather because it's easier to squeeze. The sad part is they only last a couple season and then they need replaced. I will say, you can buy the rubber bellow kit or just the rubber skin which is nice. You should try one, I bet you never switch back.

[@BestBuzzHoneyBees]

@@JCsBees thanks for the info on the bellow. Im starting to get them lined out just in time for locust and other blooms in my area.

[@danphillips4590]

Caught 2 swarms yesterday, out of my hives

[@JCsBees]

It's a crazy season already. I've NEVER seen a flow like this in April. Everything is blooming early. Best of luck with the swarming!

[@salembeeman370]

If you had drawn comb the bees will move the nectar over to the new comb.

[@richardrbrynerjr.7912]

Morel jackpot!

[@JCsBees]

I could not believe my eyes! lol

[@130loadmaster]

Strange start to the season. I’ve decided to just let my hives swarm when they want. I’ve just been boxing them up as they do.

[@JCsBees]

That works if you have the time to watch and catch them. Best of luck to you this season.

[@brianleach7158]

My bee's is doing great down here jason. Christmas

[@JCsBees]

Glad to hear your bees are doing well. Also, my last name is Chrisman (Chris-Man), I'm not named after a holiday (Christmas). 🤣

[@leehillard2841]

I was doing good until you showed those morels, lol I have not found any here in PA yet.

[@JCsBees]

I had to share, I haven't stubbled on a mess like that in years. Hopefully you find some!

[@dteam270]

Ha Ha nice mess

[@JCsBees]

Thanks 😅

[@peterlightbody8443]

Hi Jason , I know it's a busy time of the year for you , would there be any chance of a video on what research is been currently been done on varroa to eradicate it for all time, came into Australia near Sydney I think in 2022 , has spread fairly quickly , not on my state as yet , not sure if I will still keep bees if and when it gets here , many commercial bee keepers are getting out , hard to find good information on what is currently going on as far as research on a cure is concerned thanks Peter 🇦🇺

[@wadebarnes6720]

On my boxes for the last two three years or 6 frame boxes bees do better and I get more honey