How to split a Beehive Easiest method by Tim Durham

The easiest way to split a beehive. It's simple fast and guaranteed. You will be surprised how fast you can spit one of your beehives.

[@WaltWW]

Thank you for the great information, I subscribed immediately when you said Cotton Pickin’ Phone. I knew you spoke a language I was familiar with.

[@WallsBeeMan]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@Jknudsen0523]

Man I love your simple, concise commentary. I'm new and wanting to get into bees, I could understand everything you said, other books and videos are beyond my comprehension because of beek terminology. Thanks for taking the extra time to explain it all. Looking forward to more videos.

[@DR-zj4od]

What I learned the most? Wear protective equipment... He did show an easy split and did a god job at that.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you & I just posted a new video

[@waysidefurniture2616]

Thanks for all your videos! I've learned so much from you! I'm a second year beekeeper from West Virginia. I've been spending the off season building hives, nucs, and swarm traps. Thanks for all the informative videos! Merry Christmas!

[@robertstwalley3662]

spring is coming, really it will be a couple months but I never get tired of watching you Tim. I watch you stuff over and over again, always learn something new. probably watched this video 4 times now in the last few years. Thanks for all the help.

[@WallsBeeMan]

I do appreciate that so stay in touch & if you have any questions, let us know.......tim

[@rdgpowers1]

Hi Tim The split I did using your video has turned out really well, I didn't add a new queen just let the bee's make their own. Thanks again your videos really help. Cheers Rob

[@juanlabuschagne1655]

OK so no new queen needed?

[@happy2LFG]

@@juanlabuschagne1655 It is my understanding that when splitting the hives, you need to make sure one of the frames has some Queen cells on it. I am a newbie, so double check but that’s what another video explained.

[@silentlytriggered9001]

@@happy2LFG yeah its Definity better if there is new queen cells....but some hive make it very late....in such cases you can simply take some frames of bees which have eggs and in the place of old hive you place new hive....and put old have about 2 ft farm from the hive......then the bees which are outside will be divided perfectly......it worked perfectly for me

[@Tj-ot4jp]

Tim you're a legend, i'm into my 3rd year now and your videos were the 1st i came across, always coming back to watch for reference info, thanks again.

[@WallsBeeMan]

that is very nice and thank you.........tim

[@bbarrs400]

Thanks Mr. Durham! I am splitting a box like this, this afternoon. I will have a new queen for it on Tuesday. I have learned a lot by watching your videos and really appreciate you taking time to do them.

[@taniabing8571]

hi Tim, good to hear from you. Good to see you don,t go out to get stung to much. look forward to hearing from you in the futute. Re Darren

[@kristinchester380]

Thanks for all your videos! You are so genuine and helpful and it has been such a great help to me and my friend who just started our first hive together 2 months ago! We started with a 4 frame nuc, installed in a 10 frame Langstroth deep. We've just recently added our 2nd deep hive box and the bees are multiplying so quickly! We haven't been able to identify the queen yet, but thanks to your videos we've picked out lots of larvae and eggs in desirable patterns, so we know she is doing well! We really wish we had started with 2 hives since it would've been easier to compare and contrast. And although it seems to be a little too late this year to give them a good chance at surviving our Indiana winters, we hope to execute our first split (much like you've done in this video) late next Spring. 2 Questions: 1) The honey super that you placed on top at the end of the video segment; that will stay with the original hive and not have been moved with the new 4 frame split, right? 2) Is it imperative the new 4 frame split be moved far away (I believe you saidin the video that you're moving the new split a couple miles away) from the original hive? We've heard hives can try to rob eachother but we only have 1/2 acre of land. How far or close it too much when attempting a split like this?

[@irishmick27]

Thanks for the vids Tim. Watched most of yours and learned quite a bit.

[@annmartin1892]

You’re a hoot! I don’t know how many times I laughed! I’m new at this and plan on splitting my hive. This makes so much sense and easy. Thanks!

[@WallsBeeMan]

You can do it! thank you & I just posted a new video

[@jovosedlar]

thank you very much WallsBeeMan Durham for your advice. I can't wait to try it out. sometimes the queen is near impossible to find and your method simplifies it a lot. good luck and thanks again.

[@WimkeSchnitger]

this video makes me so happy, no nonsense, just plane old amarican bee keeping. Thank you Tim

[@WallsBeeMan]

Well, my goodness. How nice.................thanks..tim

[@georgebaumann1]

You are just plain awesome! I love watching your videos. Sorry but your reaction each time you got stung had me chuckling. Very educational bee keeping information keep them coming

[@WallsBeeMan]

I appreciate that and I do enjoy making the videos knowing it helps someone....stay in touch. tim

[@colincourier]

New bee keeper and was worried about getting stung!.You just take in your stride.i"m now looking forward to my first year with my bees in the UK,many thanks for your laid back attitude to your colony.but i definitely will not be wearing my Shorts an T shirt,Brilliant guy and thank you.

[@cricketscorner6514]

We started last week combining capped brood into 2 boxes with one deep super we dont use excluder but will next spring to have cut comb , you have a great setup and don't look like a beginner keep up the great work.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you.......tim sr

[@Digger927]

Nice! Very well done sir, thank you for the great strategy...I'm going to try this method this spring!

[@ccff-youngfilmmakerscompet9592]

You are amazing! I need to do a split and your video was both informative and entertaining. Maybe I'll be brave enough some day to work without a suit! Thank you!!!

[@jameshouston-mcmillan1588]

Thanks Tim, This work an absolute treat! Couldn't be easier.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thanks.....tim

[@1989happii]

Oh man you are one of a kind. Great job sir, you are doing beautiful work. please keep up the good work

[@The-Skinn]

Merry Christmas! Thank you for being such a good teacher! 🐝

[@WallsBeeMan]

I thank you for the Merry Christmas.....stay in tough.......tim

[@jamesblakesley3213]

Tim Durham i love ur beekeeping KZbin video's even & experienced beekeeper like me can always learn something

[@WallsBeeMan]

Beekeeping is something a beginner can enjoy and learn something they do not know and a beekeeper who had bees for years can always learns something. There is a lot that man does not really understand about bees. Thank you & stay in touch..........tim

[@fritzkeller7567]

Tim, fantastic video, thank you for your wisdom on splitting a hive. Answer your phone. Thank you.

[@WallsBeeMan]

Thank you Fritz. When we are working many hours a day in the busy season, it's hard to do anything else let alone answer the phone

[@jimkovac915]

I like the way you trim off all that burr comb. I need to start doing that.

[@badams48]

Your video is very informative. Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge with us. Is there a way to avoid moving the new beehive 2 miles away? I would a appreciate your comments.

[@thegolfbat1]

Tim I always look forward to discovering your stuff. I am new to beekeeping and think your films are very easy to follow. That makes thing much easier to work with, even for us Limey's over the water. I have shown a couple of your films to my Bee buddy George Newton who has over 60 years of beekeeping under his belt. He commented that you are not far off in what you say. believe me that is some comendation if he though ya wrong he would say so. So keep em coming mate.

[@michaelbergen92]

Thanks for the info! You're one of my favorite sources of information on beekeeping. I really want to buy you a bee suit lol

[@2brujoman]

***** You're a brave man to work with your bees in shorts and a tank top. My bee veil hat is off to you! LOL

[@ktommycary]

Thanks a lot for your very clear video. I appreciate the help.

[@333johno]

Your a great guy, thanks for the info, you are one of the best on here, lots of knowledge, much appreciated, :)

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you so much.............tim sr

[@MohammedAslamtit-bitsoflife]

Thank you again Mr Tim....yes you are a school in yourself..great to watch and we learn a lot...God bless you...aamin

[@66otnt]

Thank you for such a quick response Tim, and thanks also for the advice.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you & I just posted a new video

[@alexreeves5977]

Enjoyed your video, thanks from New Zealand.

[@walterbyrd8021]

Great video...well done! Must be good gentle bees...I've got only two hives left after losing six due to SHB and whatever else! Those two hives are the gol durndest meanest little boogers I've ever had to work with...BUT THEY SURVIVED. I am going to do this very split this year and buy some new, gentle Italian queens, from Weaver probably, at Navasota.. Best wishes

[@bryanpratt5850]

That’s the real deal right there. Easy peasy! Thanks for the encouragement and the info.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you & I just posted a new video

[@TheBushBeeMan]

Thank you for the great and informative video! Also, hi from Australia!

[@WallsBeeMan]

Thanks and appreciate the Australia info......tim

[@rdgpowers1]

Hi Tim I have dohe a split according to your video and was wondering how long before I should wait to have a look.Thanks for all the videos it really helps beginners like me.

[@beebob1279]

Just found your video. Nice job. A pollinator friend of mine taught me many different ways to split a hive and yours is one of them. Simple is often the key to success.

[@winstonmaraj8029]

Maaaaan, the accent is MAGNIFICENT😅🤣😂❤️💪

[@WallsBeeMan]

Thank you. Will tell my Wife.........tim

[@natserog]

really helpful! thanks Tim

[@crm9031]

Thank you for showing how to do this. I'm going to try it next week.

[@WallsBeeMan]

let us know how it goes

[@henryparrott2447]

Love all your show ❤ I've learned so much here. Jokes R great 👍

[@WallsBeeMan]

Glad you like them! thank you & I just posted a new video

[@BeightonBeekeeper]

Tim, you are a star ! Love your videos. Is there a Tim Durham fan club ? I'd join in a flash !

[@WallsBeeMan]

Well, I don't know about that......I just enjoy helping beekeepers and everyone can use a laugh....tim

[@666flic]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Much appreciated!

[@Leelz247]

Using the queen excluder and having the BEES do the work for you. Very smart!!

[@WallsBeeMan]

Thank you......tim

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

Gosh, everytime I watch this when I hear your phone alarm go off my heart stops!!! haha, sounds like a 'Radiation Leak' Warning Alarm! hahaha

[@xHottDawgx]

Tim, you're my idol when it comes to beekeeping hahaha! I love your videos. Your bees seem not to mind you being around. How many stings do you usually get during a full hive inspection or a split like this?

[@billmeek4777]

Ok , thanks for the advice .

[@TehYumehChan]

Great video, thank you so much!

[@jeffkotalik6169]

Thanks Tim Just did my first split. Video very helpful. Did it the way you instructed except moving it away. Moved about 3 ft from the original hive. Put queen in and checked 3 days later, she was released and bees excepted her. Thanks again for all your great videos.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thanks and that is wonderful.......tim

[@IceManTX69]

Great vid! Thanks, Tim!

[@GoldiefromMahia]

I live on the east coast of New Zealand. Have 2 New queens arriving tomorrow. I will use your method.. thank you

[@WallsBeeMan]

Good luck! thanks for the New Zealand

[@buildingwithtrees2258]

Good information! I see a commercial guy doing this, kinda. They shook all the bees out of the #2 brood box, put the excluder on, and came back next day. Then made splits into nucs.

[@WallsBeeMan]

Yes and there are different way...tim

[@TheAbledGardener]

Thanks for the excellent video on splitting hive easily. I am a newer beekeeper and have only split a hive once but my beekeeper neighbor did it for me and very quickly. He's no longer helping me and I didn't see all he did and there was no teaching. I can take the hive 2 miles away but how long do I leave it before bringing it back? for the first split, it was left here.

[@WallsBeeMan]

The split hive that you move 2 miles away, leave them there say 3 day at least.

[@hogkillerjp]

Great video good info I will give this a try thanks

[@abrdave]

Thanks !! great video.

[@shesanalien89]

The fact that youre in shorts is blowing my mind lol

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you & I just posted a new video

[@sublimelime292]

man I love your videos!

[@628DirtRooster]

Nice work.

[@jamesblakesley3213]

Tim Durham my mom is a long Time beekeeper to she has been a beekeeper for 50 year's she told me how often to open behves after splits it was exactly what u told me lol

[@WallsBeeMan]

Now it is rare for two beekeepers to agree on something. Tell your Mom hello........tim

[@2brujoman]

What were the two gray color strips that you removed from the top of the frames? I am a beginner and I am always looking for tips. Thanks, I really enjoy your videos.

[@johnbalogna803]

Brave man wearing shorts while messing with the bees. I think it be more worried about other parts b4 I worried about getting stung on the ear lol. All kidding aside thanks for the great videos and sharing your knowledge with us new to bee keeping.

[@MarcellaSmithVegan]

Hi Beeman, I saw this artist doing a bee and thought you would get a kick out of it, it is only like 2 minutes long but he finishes up with a cool looking bee he drew, thanks for your great information, I love to watch you at work, teaches 'calmness' hehe . He is that artist's drawing, enjoy! How I draw a bee

[@the1bulldurham]

I like what you did there. Smart.

[@joschmoyo4532]

That's the best darn splitting video I've ever seen.

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you & I just posted a new video

[@souficoufi5763]

Think you for this excellent video (Algeria).

[@robertmuir4496]

Thanks Tim.

[@smokeydabeecharlescoleman8365]

Nice video, I learned something.

[@djastram]

Thanks for sharing!

[@hamideddaifi5615]

thanks papa well done, your son Hamid from Morocco

[@davidalexopoulos8372]

thank you Tim!

[@WallsBeeMan]

Your very welcome.....tim

[@ValdemarCamilo]

you sir, have balls of steel.

[@so_cal_mom]

Very interesting! Thank you!

[@WallsBeeMan]

My pleasure!.......tim

[@loveamerica587]

Great video like I mentioned I’m a first your backyard beekeeper with two hives, will this prevent a swarm? And what month should I do this in I’m in California

[@WallsBeeMan]

It is nature for bees to swarm. People have babies and bees swarm. Don't crowed them and it is said a young queen is not as likely to swarm as an old queen

[@readingforwisdom7037]

Nice work Tim!

[@WallsBeeMan]

Thanks! I appreciate that. If you will, subscribe to my channel.........tim

[@zebra61]

Tim, I just can't believe that you won't at the very least wear a veil. So many of your videos have stings. Lips, legs, ears, arms etc. For those of us that experience swelling and a week of pain, it's almost painful to witness your stings. Thanks for the great videos, sharing all of your expertise and knowledge with the rest of us is very much appreciated. Keep the videos coming and the diphenhydramine handy!

[@zebra61]

***** Well, I guess you're exchanging one pain for another. You know best! I had a sting on my right hand (knuckles) that made some pain go away so I'm a believer. Best wishes Tim!

[@framcesmoore]

good job thanks

[@gsmat85]

We live and keep bees on 5 acres. What would you suggest if we are not able to move the move the brood chamber 2 miles? Thanks for posting the instructional videos too!

[@guitarfend]

Tim , When you move it, and start a new nuc, do you fill the box with frames to make a full 8 frames?. Great video.

[@khalidrafique2854]

very nice and informative demo, khalid pakistan

[@Kentucky338]

Thank you. Is it possible for the bees to make their own queen?

[@jerrysherman670]

Used your method works 100% THANKS

[@WallsBeeMan]

Welcome 👍

[@stihlnz]

May thanks, will try this soon

[@FLYSAFE143]

Thank you very much Mr. Durham for a great video. I am going to try to do two splits the end of this week up here near Boston. I will not be able to move the new splits 2 miles away. Best I could do is about a 150 feet. Will that present a problem?

[@FLYSAFE143]

Thank you very much. You do a great job in your video. I appreciate you helping others in this way. You have a great gift in this area. Thank you again. Boston Bob

[@biengos.8180]

He's a verry cool beekeeper !👍👍👍

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you.......tim

[@DougieDoug94]

EXCELLENT video :)

[@smerkin83]

What time of year would you recommend doing this? I'm about to harvest and was planning on splitting this fall.

[@WallsBeeMan]

We only do splits in the Spring so each split has tiem to build up by fall.......tim

[@MohammedAslamtit-bitsoflife]

Thani you Mr Tim, pls tell me how you manage without the protective clothing?

[@donnanolte851]

Good evening Tim - could you use this same process if a hive has capped queen cells as a swarm prevention method? Put the frames with queen cells in the top box and put a double screen between them the following day (leaving the queen excluder for a day so that bees can come back up)?

[@WallsBeeMan]

Yes you can. There are several tings you can play with but you have to stay on top of it..tim

[@thevideoguy90]

2:17 5:43 The bees set an intruder alarm! lol

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you & I just posted a new video

[@luelee7603]

good info.. thank you

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you........tim

[@cboyack]

Tim, when you put the new queen in the new hive, are you using a candy plug and allowing the queen to then be in the hive within 24 hours? Or are you putting her in but keeping her in the cage for a few days before allowing her to be released into teh hive?

[@biengos.8180]

. . .and a cool ringtone !

[@WallsBeeMan]

yeah, I had forgot to turn that off...tim

[@mtbsperry]

Another very helpful and entertaining video. I have learned so much from watching your channel. Thank you for sharing your experience. You give me confidence to take up beekeeping. I have questions though. Why move the brood box 2 miles to introduce new queen? Does this ensure the original hive does not migrate to new brood box? Or, visa-versa? And, your selection of frames for the split... you were looking for capped brood. You seemed to pass up on eggs/larve frames. Why is this? Then, you went back and used one of the first frames with eggs/larve with the new split. Was this so you have a majority of capped brood with small percentage of eggs/larve? Hope that question makes sense. Thanks again. You are a great resource!

[@carolinkirkwood8781]

Hi regarding this, just to get it straight, You make the split, move the hive 2 miles, move it back and then re-introduce the queen? And do you move the hive at night?

[@theonlycrazycanadian]

i could do this in summer but i need to split in 2 weeks (my queens are showing up) and im just afraid my temperatures will be too low and the upper box would get too cold. nights are still only a few degrees above freezing, by then it would be probably in the 40's or 50's at night. or do you think the heat would just chimney up to the top and warm them?

[@WallsBeeMan]

I feel like I don't have enough specific info to give you a correct answer. Is it a two deep brood chamber hive? How many frames of capped brood are there in total. If you have capped brood, then there are egs & larvaue. Let say you have 8 frames total of eggs, larvae & capped brood and you put 4 each in each split. If you have enough bees to cover those 4 frames in each box, then I think you will be OK

[@2daymehappy]

Can you explain how the 9 frame spacers work? Can I use them in new foundations and frames, I am a new bee lover and having a hard time getting the frames out when checking hives.

[@GerriElder]

What's the best time of year to do this? Also, how often could you split a hive?

[@tiffanyerb9570]

Thank you for you help full videos! If I am needing to make a quick split, and I don't have a queen, can I put a frame with queen cells on it and still have good results? Thanks again!

[@WallsBeeMan]

Yes. Yes you can do that. Just try get get enough bees in each split........tim

[@tiffanyerb9570]

@@WallsBeeMan thank you!

[@ahyounghelenkim4893]

Great video!!

[@WallsBeeMan]

thank you

[@guitarfend]

Tim, are the bees you shook off nurse bees? If they are going to come back to take care of the brood why shake them off? That's the part I don't understand. Love your videos. Learned so much.