Making 2 Splits From 1 Hive Leaving You With 3 Beehives Using The BS Honey Bees 2 In 1 Nuc

[@laightnightknits4358]

I'm tempted to use on of these as they are maybe less of a swarm risk than an Apidea. If there is 1 queen on each side... when you open the hive... will they not cause problems if they don't have their own crown board for each side? I'm guessing not, as yours have been successful! Love your videos. This is the only one I have seen of someone actually beekeeping with this type of hive :)

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’ve not seen a problem with them, but just be as quick as you can to avoid the bees mixing to much.

[@kevinperree7764]

Hi Gruff, another great vid, learning lots from the channel. Constructive comment based on what I see on the other channels I follow on motorcycles and barbecue (don’t go there) when people reference earlier vids, they nearly always pop a link on the screen of the vids at the point where they make the reference. Not sure but I think it gets click rates up and helps the algorithms. BTW, I bought a BS nuc box based on your review. I haven’t even got any bees yet!! How’s that for the power of (your) KZbin vids

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Kevin! That’s a great point and your right I should be doing that and will be from now on! 😊👍🏻 really appreciate the help. I’m still learning on KZbin as I’m going 😊 That’s great news! It will serve you well 😊🐝🐝

[@tomdeslong]

How long do you leave the mated queen before you release her?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Tom 😊, 3 days in the hive, then I remove the plastic cap and refill the fondant and then drop the cage back in. Check on them in a weeks time.

[@mer-oneralphjr.bolinto6515]

how small can you make your cell starter hive?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

I’d keep it at least 4 frames min to allow plenty of strength to feed the cells adequately.

[@northdevon999]

Hi so when you introduce the queen to the nuc box are you introducing 1 queen or 2?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

2 if the divider is down

[@northdevon999]

Thank you, I thought so but was just checking. Great video by the way

[@Delibro]

Will the two splits use the same entrance? Won't they fight each other there?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

They have a separate entrance 180 degrees from each other

[@irishbee3632]

Hi Gruff. How often you getting superseedure queen cells in the splits made like that?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

hi, Not very often, you do sometimes get it of the queen is a dud. I find the colour of the bees makes a big difference to the colour of the queen you introduce. Black bees will try and replace a yellow queen and vice versa. Last year I had really good results doing splits like this 1 queen failed in a batch of about 20 nucs. And I have had 1 dead out so far over the winter out of that batch. This is by far my favourite way of making splits and increases.

[@irishbee3632]

@@gwenyngruffydd thanks

[@bluelab5019]

I've got one of these nucs and am waiting to do this exact process. The only difference is I'd like to make each side up from different colonies (both from the same apiary). I take it that's doable too isn't it?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Yes it’s doable 😊👍🏻

[@petermurphy6216]

Hi gruff, nice nuc boxes how much do they cost mate I’ve got all wooden hives so I’m going to start getting some poly hives , thx for the tips on splitting hives.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, Around the £40-£45 mark from memory. No problem glad you found it useful 😊

[@jamesparslow3828]

Could you do the same but instead just knock all the queen cells down apart from one instead of introducing a new queen? Also would it be possible to do this in may when bee numbers are higher?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No reason for it not to work. I do make splits like that too. It’s just more reliable and faster with mated queens

[@jamesparslow3828]

@@gwenyngruffydd okay thanks I want to try and Increase my numbers

[@iananderson8526]

WHEN I DO SPLITS I PULL THE FRAMES I WANT SHAKE THE BEES OF THEN REPLACE WITH NEW FRAMES PUT THE FRAMES OF BROOD IN ANOTHER BROOD BOX ABOVE THE QUEEN EXCLUDER THEN REBUILD HIVE 24 HOURS LATER I USE THESE FRAMES FOR MY SPLITS AS THEY ARE COVERED IN NURSE BEES AND THE QUEEN IS BELOW IN THE OTHER BOX THIS SAVES LOOKING FOR A QUEEN AS I AM OLD AND MY EYESITE IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE HOPE THIS MAKES SENSE

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Yes that would definitely work. Bit of work but if you can’t see the queen a great way around it! Will remember this! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@TH-cl5be]

how do you know you have not shook the queen off with frames you removed, if your eyes are bad, my eyes are bad to

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

He needs to ..."Make room to shake Bees off Frames within the Box, ... itself !!!!" Tip : Take out the outer Pollen /Honey Frames, and Shake these over the mid point of the Hive, carefully. Put these Frames aside, safely. Gently go through all the other Frames, "making some good space either side of a Frame, re Queen", and Shake again over mid area. Remove said Frame(s) again, Bee free, safely. Keeping doing until you can add a New Drawn Frame into the Brood Box, before shaking thar last Frame !... So that the 'shaken Bees & Queen' have something to crawl upon... when all other Frames are removed (temporarily !) Go through those set aside Frames... and take 'Frames for your Nucs' : Ones with : +Eggs +Larva, +Capped Brood, and some Pollen and +Resources, to "Become your Split". Add these to a Nuc(s) Box, (covered up). Any spaces, add drawn comb or Foundation to outer areas. You want : Outer left: Empty Comb, Pollen, Bees Eggs, Mid Area : Brood, Eggs, Bees, Pollen, Empty Comb : Outer right (!) Add all remaining Frames, Drawn, with Comb 'laying space', have resources, 》》》 back to the Bees + Queen, in the Brood Chamber. 《《《 On top of this Add a Queen Excluder, then add on top : The Nucs, side by side if doing x2 (Or if necessary a empty Nuc :Blank as it's neighbour, if doing x1 for a stable enclosed 'over night' lock down, no space or draughts, to chill Eggs !) Add a Roof, or some weather proof Covering. eg Large Board, Tile, Stiff Black Plastic Membrane etc... Why ? Answer : The Queen is in that lower Box (carefully) shook in mid Box, 'guaranteed.' ✔ The "Nurse Bees" will be drawn "Up" to look after all that "Nuc placed Brood" etc... Next day... You can remove these Nuc(s) and place in their own new location. With own Floors and Roofs. Fed, fed, fed them : 2:1 Syrup, a bit of Pollen Patty, eg 1/3 of Pack is good. Aka small Colony (!) AND, if need be... Add more Capped Brood (only) as previous CAPPED hatches as new Nurse Bees (!) .... 》》》 You need lots of Nurse Bees to make Eggs into 'pending Queens' aka build good quality: Queen Cells ! 《《《 🐝 Tip: Keep adding Food or capped Brood, to keep these dinky Hives going, until that Queen Hatches = (x16 Days) Is a Virgin = building up in the Hive (say x5 Days) goes on Mating Flights = (say x3 Days) and comes back to lay Eggs aka More Nurse Bees (Workers) is another = x21 Days !!! So adding Capped Brood (ony), taken from other Hives, responsibly, is a good investment to get a Nuc 'Winter Ready! Raising a Queen, to be a new laying Queen, takes a lot out of a Nuc !!!! So you need ... Bees, Bees, Bees. 🥰 Hope this helps. Happy Beekeeping 2021. 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@TH-cl5be]

do you get any rodent problems chewing through the hives ?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Haven’t seen it yet

[@TH-cl5be]

@@gwenyngruffydd thanks for reply. could i just ask 1 quick question, is there any distance you have to keep between each hive or could they be touching each other more or less.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Ideally not touching unless entrance is pointing in different directions. Ideally you want to stop/reduce drifting. I would say 2 foot gap is good. But that’s not always possible. Turning the entrance to point in different directions is the best thing to do.

[@TH-cl5be]

@@gwenyngruffydd thanks, so you dont need all entrances pointing south. sorry for pestering. do you have any vids on why you need to change the buckfast queen every year. i have heard if you dont they may become aggressive ?. and why do you need to buy a queen in why not create your own out your hive.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No, as long as the hive gets the south sun you’d be ok. ( this is not a rule as such just best case scenario.) You don’t need to change the queens all the time. I don’t. I buy in queens to make splits (increases) it’s just fast easy and a good way to get specific breed lines. When my old hives want to swarm I let them make a queen themselves. Only buy queens for new hives if that makes sense?

[@GC987]

Interesting you are making a split (or ten) at this stage in the year. I had previously (quite possibly incorrectly) assumed that a good time (or another time) to do a split was early summer in order to attempt to control swarming. I assumed (.....dangerous I know !) in doing so then, it might be possible to retain one large colony as well as developing a back up for winter losses - thus maximising honey production from the main (i.e. the original/parent) colony whilst having a backup colony AND controlling swarming. I appreciate there are several approaches to achieving the same ends.... You appear to be keen on introducing Queens from elsewhere to head up those nucs (more cost .... GASP !) so I surprised you simply don't propagate new Queens from your own lines. No doubt you are looking at yields, genetic diversity, behaviour etc etc etc. Perhaps a few words (or even a VLOG) on your philosophy. Far be it from me to criticise at all (I not and that's certainly not my intention) as I'm sure there is sound reasoning for your approach. Bee keeping is so bewildering for the rookie (me) that "skinning the proverbial cat" several ways is more than a tad confusing. Forgive me.....I'm new to the pastime (and didn't ever imagine I be so fully invested £££ nor how much my first few jars of honey would cost to produce). My approach has been to try and keep costs down/reasonable - whereas as an experienced commercial producer, I'm sure you look at things a bit differently. Some insight into that/all the above would be fascinating. By the way how are/did your hives perform that were installed on that sloping ground going up a tiny valley - many VLOG's ago ? Love your uploads. Amongst the very best. I'm just off to watching your other VLOG on Artificial Swarming - which I must have missed - so apologies if you've answered the above in that one !

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Graeme, What you have stated there about making splits earlier in the year to reduce swarming is 100% correct. The difference there is im making the split not out of choice but out of must. If I don't split the hive they will swarm its just a management technique. What im doing in this video is a split when the bees don't want to swarm to increase my own colony numbers up. Making nucs that will overwinter in a 6 frame poly hive. These colonies will help to reduce my winter losses. The beauty with doing this at this time of year is that im not losing any honey because the main flow is over. Therefor I can afford to make the splits. And my colony numbers will be higher next year. I buy in queens because its to late in the year for me to let the bees make their own queen in August. And I found queens that you buy in from specialist breeders for example buckfast far outperform my own local stock for honey production. + its always good to introduce new bloodlines. I don't like to keep the stocks to pure and I definitely don't like interbreeding. Another good thing with mated queens is they are easy. Phone call or online order and you have them next day. Those hives have come along pretty good considering the year. Not a huge amount of honey but they are doing ok. I have moved a few more hives there in the meantime. Really appreciate your comments and questions its what im trying to achieve with this channel. A whole community of people learning and helping each other out. Really appreciate the time and feedback... Thank You 😊 Glad to have you here on the channel and hope you continue to do so. Anything you need to know always happy to comment back and help 😊👍🏻

[@GC987]

Gwenyn Gruffydd Thanks - what a great reply (on both my separate comments). That’s what I was anticipating - but it’s nice to hear your supplementary explanation & it all makes perfect sense. 10 out of 10 for your feedback. Brilliant ! Good luck with your ten supplementary back up hives. 😁🤞

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you 😊

[@swmltrainspotting]

The title is confusing but I’ll get it

[@gwenyngruffydd]

It’s a hard one to describe what I’m actually doing!! 🤪

[@williamjordan1671]

Another great piece of work the only bit I don’t understand when you take half the nuc away after introducing the queen after a few weeks . Won’t them frames be queen less . Sorry if I seem stupid I’m a novice lol . But as always brilliant work keep it up 👍

[@lewisharrison9228]

How far did you move the nuc from the original hive? What minimum distance do you recommend?

[@NigelWales88]

How late in the year can this be done ?

[@lewisharrison9228]

@@williamjordan1671 I think what he's saying is you would introduce two queens (1 to each side of the 2 sides nuc - you were aware of the divider in the middle?). Once one side has drawn 3 frames, accepted their queen and she has started laying - (basically grown beyond the 3 frame capacity). You would move the 3 frames to their own 6 frame nuc so it can be over-wintered. You would also take the divider out of the first nuc for that to over-winter on 6 frames.

[@jljjoubert3611]

Goodday sir. Very good example I will follow it. One thing,those two splits adjacent to each other,are they now operating as 2 "swarms" so smelling no queens! will they on both sides go for their own queen? You introduce only 1 queen,what about the other side? You are working towards 2 new swarms, so the other side must also have a queen introduced. Cobus🐳