DON'T BUY BEES - Splitting Horizontal Beehives

It’s Spring time and the bees in the Daddykirbs Beeyard are doing pretty well. We have a vertical Langstroth and a Horizontal Langstroth beehive that both can be split. My success rate in the past with making splits is average at best. I’m sharing my journey to show how I’m approaching these tasks in beekeeping. I welcome tips from seasoned beekeepers in the comments. Thank you.
I believe everyone has a story and every story counts. I believe your story counts because I believe you count. Thank you for being a part my story and letting me be a part of yours.

[@jeanrusso3822]

Thank you for this video. I began beekeeping a couple of years ago...someone else was managing my two hives...but somehow I ended up with just one hive for now. So, I started managing my hive...I am looking forward to make splits and eventually scale up. I like your video because of your sincerity and humbleness...I particularly like the fact that you said, " I believe everyone has a story and every story counts. I believe your story counts because I believe you count." So very true!!! And that, speaks volume about you my friend!! All the best, and be blessed!!

[@sarivata]

You are my favorite bee keeper on KZbin. Admitting you are not perfect and still wanting to learn takes courage. I have built my first hive and only hope to be as successful. Good job sir

[@Jasp3rism]

Love the videos. Only critique i would give is if you could let the text hang on the screen just a tad longer for us slower readers. 😁

[@angussmith1156]

Enjoying your videos from uk

[@Haffy1952]

I'm thinking maybe after this season just concentrating on getting another horizontal hive and make your lifting and life a lot easier, just my thoughts.

[@athhelle]

Me too as Nerd Fu, I've built my first hive 2 month ago. Unfortunately the weather this spring is very bad here in Northern Italy. No bees around. May be I'll be more lucky next year...in the meanwhile I follow your videos. ciao Ath

[@goodcitizen3780]

Good splits! I'm excited to see that long box getting fired up! I think your percentage is about to shoot way up! If you do notice, in a few days, that you are getting too much drift... maybe try re-shanking to get numbers back up, scootch that nuc away a bit and put some leafy branches in front of the entrances. That will force them to reorient. I'd do it at dusk. Man I can't wait to see how these splits turn out!

[@darrellhamner4608]

Always enjoy your videos and you're only couple hundred miles away so much of what you say and do is applicable to my beekeeping. The bee in your bonnet part reminded me of my worst experience so far. Forgot to zip my hood one day and several bees from a hot hive got in. I was stung several times but as usual most bees seem to want out more than they want to sting and though I had walked away it was not far enough so when I took hood off to let bees out there were more wanting in than wanting out. Twelve stings to head and face--not fun. Keep videos coming.

[@suemcfarlane4199]

With the hive butler box are the bees shut in when you put the lid on so if you found the queen on a frame and put that frame in the butler box an you then move her with out risk of losing her on the ground or somewhere

[@jarnold8803]

Thanks for the video on top bar hive. I have mine almost finished and ready to start a new adventure. 🐝

[@daddykirbs]

Yay! I love that you are starting this new adventure. Keep in mind that this is not a "top bar" hive. This is a long Langstroth hive, or a Horizontal Langstroth hive. The top bar hive is different in that they don't use frames.

[@jackiehorsley9263]

there definitely active I am glad you know what your doing they must recognize you

[@BESHYSBEES]

Jackie Horsley nope they don’t they only recognise us as a intruder

[@grantschneider7952]

When you do a walk away split need to have plenty of pollen and Honey/sugar stores it takes a lot of resources to raise queens

[@bernadinomorales5933]

I would think that getting you one strong have to make queen cells like there looking to swarm than split and separate the boxes

[@critter9a]

it's a wonder what a 250 mile difference makes we're cold with a drizzle

[@critter9a]

HALF MT I’m 60 miles east of you we never got above 40

[@ginomorris4873]

Are you adding a queen to the nuc or does it needs brand new eggs for them to make a queen ??

[@daddykirbs]

The hope is that they make a queen from the available eggs.

[@ginomorris4873]

Thanks for the nice new video 🙂

[@biegelfamilymusic5337]

Can't wait to get into our hives! It was -27C this morning and we're covered in nearly 2 feet of snow here in Northern Alberta!

[@kennethcartman473]

I hope the hives are doing well in all this mess!

[@paulawaldrep3760]

I think he should have shook a few nurse bees into the little NuC. Those babies need to stay warm. He said it was in the 70s.

[@bonhamvapor298]

Wish I could add a video to show you what showed up at my house last weekend

[@Makermook]

So how did the girls do after the split?

[@robertadriver6931]

Thank you for this interesting video. Hope you are able to make the 2nd horizontal hive into a viable hive. The 2nd horizontal hive had no queen right, are they to convert some of the baby bees egg cells into queen cells & raise another queen for themselves?

[@daddykirbs]

They can create a queen with the eggs that are already laid.

[@paulschaefer5241]

It really doesn't make a lot of difference which hive the queen is in if both have the right resources but you will get a better queen if the old queen is split into the weaker colony.

[@dlbraly]

Also, do you have an opinion on Langstroth vrs Layens dimensions of frames? newbie questions.

[@daddykirbs]

I've never used Layens frames so I cannot share any personal experience, but a nice deep frame like that does seem intriguing.

[@miroslavbukovic7294]

Yay im the first one i love your vids so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@daddykirbs]

woo hoo!!!

[@keithcaldwell5531]

Do you get paid to endorse the hive butler box? Just curious.

[@daddykirbs]

I don't.

[@keithcaldwell5531]

@@daddykirbs Maybe you should look into that. You have a strong following and you are definitely getting their product out there.

[@weetreebonsai]

tweeted

[@BESHYSBEES]

5:00 when you did this split you should have spun the parent hive 180* so the foragers go to the nucleus 👍

[@daddykirbs]

Thank you for that advice.

[@TeachaMantoFish]

I'm having to learn all this from KZbin under a "stay at home" Governor's order. This will be interesting, no coops or clubs to hang out with under quarantine.

[@goodcitizen3780]

It's the same way even here in old Lousianne. Smh

[@jeffcotton526]

Splits should always be separated by some distance, at least 20-40' or more. Watch Kamon Reynolds' bee videos, you could learn a lot from him as he's very experienced.

[@darrellhamner4608]

There are different ways to split. As with most things beekeeping none of those ways are set in stone. BTW why Sherman of all people?

[@BESHYSBEES]

Jeff Cotton not true, I split side by side all the time. He should have spun the parent colony 180 so the foragers go to the split

[@paulawaldrep3760]

We need good information to make great splits. Kamon is my guy! He's got knowledge! :)

[@dragoness3606]

Won't the new bees just kill the very few that were left from the moth invaded colony?

[@bigadg]

The comments you put on the video dissapear to quick dont have time to read them

[@daddykirbs]

So sorry! I'll look at timing more next time.

[@bigadg]

Great video though as always

[@BESHYSBEES]

Daddykirbs Farm - A Homesteading Story yeah have to agree, read it aloud when editing to grasp the time needed also a background helps contrast it too

[@woodspirit98]

Do you make your own frames?

[@susanolson3611]

✌️

[@polvotierno]

So interesting. I have never seen a horizontal hive since working with bees since the 70s... I am learning a lot... the ventilation looks good. What if you turned the ventilation slat around so that the screen is on the bottom? Maybe the bees wouldn't block it with propolis.

[@dlbraly]

Have you ever put a box in a tree and try to catch a swam? Or is that bad here in Texas because of the African bees?

[@daddykirbs]

I've had no success with boxes in trees yet, but I have caught a few swarms by going out and collecting them. I'm not concerned too much with the Africanized bees.

[@insidekateskitchen]

Super video. Looks like your bees are doing well.

[@woodspirit98]

You have 135k subs. Doing great for not being the best beekeeper imo. I enjoy your videos. Love to start keeping bees myself and you're great inspiration. I'm building a horizontal hive based on Dr Leos plans online. I'm still working everyday since I work in a hospital. Bees seem to be very relaxing.

[@fayncscott]

DaddyKirbs I wanted to make an observation about you placing the Nuc next to the parent hive. When your mated queen returns she may fly into the wrong hive with them that close don't you think? I'm in my second year, so no expert. Just wondering if you planned to move them further apart closer to time for her majesty to emerge and go on her mating flight?

[@dlbraly]

Thanks For Sharing. We don't have any hives yet, but seriously thinking about it. Those horizontal hives are attractive. Interested in what you find out about honey production in them. Keep up the good work. North Texas.

[@artm3629]

What are you using for groundcover UNDER your hives? Does it help with hive beetles?

[@daddykirbs]

These are thick rubber mats.

[@daddykirbs]

I put the mats there primarily for weed control, but also hoping it helps control beetles some.

[@scooptoot]

I am relatively new to beekeeping and am starting 3 new hives this Friday, would you recommend using pollen patties or giving them sugar water?

[@paulawaldrep3760]

Always remember they need nectar from flowering plants or sugar water to make was so they can build comb. :)

[@paulawaldrep3760]

Always remember they need nectar from flowering plants or sugar water to make was so they can build comb. :)

[@paulawaldrep3760]

Wax