Splitting Hives

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thank you to everyone for watching and supporting our videos! If you have any questions about our videos, please check out our list of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS on our website, which can be found at honeybee.uoguelph.ca/videos/frequently-asked-questions/

[@makewaytv2912]

UoG Honey Bee Research Centre sir, i like you share the video i totally learn how to manage a bee hive, me i ask question, if i will buy bees from there to my beloved country philippines, they are still alive??

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

HI There I'm happy to hear you have learned from our videos. We can't ship bees to you. Maybe someone in your country breeds nice bees too.

[@trskldn]

Hi. Thank you for the video. Please allow other people translate subtitles from English into other languages in the youtube settings.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Oh. I see what you mean. I'll look into changing the setting. Two other people have asked to translate videos into Russian. I'll try and find the links to their you tube channels for you.

[@hillybeaner9689]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@MarekArawn]

6 years later... FINALLY! A clear and straightforward "crash-course" on splits. Thank you. I'm also amazed that you're both wearing noting but shorts and short-sleeved shirts when working with your bees!

[@johanconradie2120]

to split swarm, take two broods each with five frames on righthand side, all frames worked out and full of brood .Brake in half and take brood with queen, FAR AWAY. And that's it. Me beekeeping since 1959 . Thank you.

[@KELimagination]

I think this is the best how to split a hive video. I started learning about beekeeping when wild honeybees made a hive in our garden. Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Our pleasure! Thanks.

[@womanonabicycle]

I found this very interesting, clear and instructional. I love the fact you demonstrated the options. As a new bee keeper this was very helpful for me. Thanks, from the UK. 👍

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Glad it was helpful. Hi in the UK!

[@MohamedUAE]

I like how calm is this person is! and the way he talks to Brooke and passing the knowledge transfer to her and to us as viewers. Amazing 👍🤲🏼🙏🏼

[@DawnieGTheBeekeeper]

Paul Kelly is amazing

[@bza069]

i really like this guys delivery method...so clear and logical

[@bjj6910]

Hi and thank you for showing your bee keeping methods. I was always wearing cover. I was amazed over how my own bees reacted when landing on my fluffy soft flece leggings. I think they considered me as a huge queen ofsome sort, they reallly calmed down and stayed long on that soft surface. If I should ever have bees again, I would make sure to have a suit made if velvet or flece again, as bees just love it. They never even tried to sting me.❤

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Huh. Usually smooth surfaced, light colored fabrics work best. Nice to hear about your pleasant experience with bees!

[@uptank8461]

One of my favorite knowledgeable Bee Keeper people i love watching Thank you for Showing how you do things, you can never know everything this is the reason i watch your videos always new things to learn.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are very welcome! A belated thanks for your kind comment.

[@framcesmoore]

these videos are outstanding I feel like I am in bee school the 2nd way is going to be my way to do splits my eyes are bad cant see to well at all but I can shake a frame thanks for this. I wont mess up no more hives u are wonderful thanks again

[@beentheredunthat8129]

Absolutely wonderful. Thank you for making this series. I think it is great that academia shares their knowledge when it comes to beekeeping. With so much information available on the Web it is a good cross between backyard and field tested studies

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Robert Thanks for the encouragemnet. Your kind comments are appreciated!

[@aceshr9499]

Every thing is research and hands experience based. We have learned so much by watching. Thank you.

[@mynmyn3245]

Sir, honestly your teaching about the Honey bee in the videos are always crystal to understand for any level learner..every words are meaningful unlike some other video maker . It is always a place for me to learn new things and wish to be InTouch and learn together with you...I also make some box with special unique design to make the bees feel more comfortable.. However I still lack behind some knowledge..I just love to spend time with bees. THANK YOU for the video

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Wow, thank you. Very kind of you. Good luck with your bees!

[@storm3772]

thank you for the detail. I'm a.new bee keeper from Australia. still learning but loving every minute

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi there in Australia You are most welcome! Beekeeping is a life long learning project - so much the better. :)

[@gatechcoltd4973]

Thank you a lot for this video now i have learn how o split my hive its easy than what i thought it will be. Shout from Tanzania

[@WoodsleeSummercraftwoodturning]

I must say this is the most helpful video ive seen for splits, makes a lot of sense re looking for eggs in each box!! Simple. I plan on splitting my hive sometime this spring, ive not seen my queen yet so this helps, going into my second year beekeeping.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks and good luck!

[@MarekVacek]

This channel is so GOOD. Such a practical and easy to follow advice. I watched almost everything and it's helping me a lot in my begining as a beekeeper. I'm sending thanks to the creators, from Czech Republic

[@colleennazarchuk3316]

Thank you for this clear breakdown & methodology in splitting a hive. I’m going into my 2 nd year of bee minding which is bringing me to the place of doing a split of one of my hives…. I’m sure your video will be providing me confidence in doing so successfully…. I will be hearing your calm voice in my mind as I go thru the motions ;)

[@BudgetInnovation1]

Same here!

[@LadyElk1]

THANK YOU for this great splitting video, the time it takes to make these I so appreciate for folks like me (where theres not a lot of info available from masters), so again thank you!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi LadyElk You are most welcome. Nice to her you find the videos helpful in a location where information is hard to come by.

[@steventhompson8189]

These series is fantastic! I will be watching each and every episode!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Steven!

[@roycarter6235]

Very informative. He does freak me out with his complete lack of protection. Young Brooke at least had her head protected. I have seen someone stung in the eyes by angry bees. A very ugly incident. Thank you for these well presented easy to understand and absorb videos. They are making me a better beekeeper. I'm in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney Australia.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Roy Yes we see some of those swollen eyes at our workplace to when new employees get started. I have a great collection of sting pictures! Thanks for you kind comments - all the way from the Blue Mountains. It's encouraging to hear that our videos are helping folks like you along. I was sure sorry to hear of so much devastation down your way with the bush fires.

[@shadmorgan5491]

Excellent tuition along with Class video production. Great value for new players!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Shad!

[@dieterspillner342]

You are a remarkable beekeeper thank you for you for your instructional videos.

[@jw112965]

Going out to make splits tomorrow. Thank you for the excellence instruction

[@focuslupilya6856]

I'm really happy to watch this video am beekeeper from Tanzania

[@welchshoneybees3244]

Good video for new beekeepers! We have these questions asked all the time. It helps to have them watch some of these videos.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi there Welch's Honey Bees Good to hear you have been able to pass the videos on to new beekeepers. They sure are keen to learn so it's fun to feed that enthusiasm!

[@lyallacheson9422]

You are a good teacher. Thanks for the great videos.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks for your feedback Lyall! We plan to do twenty more videos this summer.

[@lindabiermann8697]

Thank you SO MUCH!!! First year, hive is bursting at the seams. This video really helped me figure out how to handle the problem!!!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Glad to be able to help Linda! Thanks for your comments.

[@elizabethstephen2188]

You have some pretty strong healthy colonies to make your splits. Well done. The young lady is good help.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Elizabeth. Yes the bees were doing very well at that time. Brooke was a great employee! Unfortunately at a University people move on but it's nice when they come back for a visit.

[@digdug7483]

I find it very addictive to watch all the bee keeping videos. It’s looks very rewarding but I’m not in a good location to to this. But until then I’ll just watch and learn

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Jeremy Nice to hear you enjoy the videos. As fascinating as beekeeping is it's good to recognize that you need to be in the right place and have the time and resources to take up the pastime. An option some chose is to help another beekeeper out.

[@cheryl-annemarais6331]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. May God bless your talent and prosper you always.

[@sidthebeekid1729]

Hi, I am 12 y/o and just started beekeeping. Just this last week I caught 3 swarms and am super excited. Your videos are some of my favorites. I am hoping to make a number of splits this year so really enjoyed watching this. Thanks for the great video. Sid

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Sid! So great to hear you are in to beekeeping. Congratulations on your swarm captures. Thanks for getting in touch - it's very rewarding to hear that you find our videos helpful. Best of luck in making splits and in your beekeeping career!

[@patidostlarvekanatlilar312]

Thank you for your success in your work.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

:)

[@shrekpower]

I must say, I REALLY enjoy watching your videos it is amazing the knowledge I get from them and how easy it looks when you talk about beekeeping. I am starting the journey this summer I hope it will be a long lasting hobby of mine and I'm even open for the business side of it if it's possible! But first thing first, learn learn and learn!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Glad you like them! Enjoy the journey. Lots to learn but it's so interesting you'll be hooked.

[@Hogavich]

Such wonderfully educational and well done videos! I hope you all post more soon. Excellent work!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Why thanks! We do plan to do twenty more videos this summer but they may not be posted until the fall.

[@Hogavich]

That is such great news! I have learned so much from these and will be on the lookout for ones later this year! I have also ordered some Buckfast queens from Fergusons. Wonderful people there. Take care!

[@obby5648]

Your confidence is amazing! Awesome video!!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

:) thanks

[@Marco-fn6kg]

excellent video thank you !

[@gg3f9aa4]

Thank you very much to both you and your assistant. It was very didactic, and of course, I will try to make the divisions with the third method, since my hives are double-bodied. Regards!!!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good luck Eduardo! You are very welcome.

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Great informative video’s. Thanks will try these next season.

[@suzannecohen5269]

Hello! So nice to find that the University of Guelph has this very helpful video! I was up there for EAS right after I started working at Betterbee in NY, two years ago, and I still proudly have my golden hive tool above my desk from winning the "Find the Queen" contest. That was amazing beginner's luck! I have my first hive this year on the back roof of our house, and I am starting to think about doing a split. Great video!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Wow! I never expected to hear from you Suzanne! That was a highlight of my EAS week seeing you find the queen! Great to hear you have your own bees now and have given your golden hive tool a place of honour. Also nice to hear you find the videos helpful. See you at EAS this year?

[@suzannecohen5269]

Yes! Don't know whether it will be the beginning or end of the week yet. Just put my first honey super on my hive. EXCITING!!!

[@suzannecohen5269]

Did you ever get to see the photo of the award presentation in last year's Betterbee Catalog? If not, I can send you the page.

[@macsbees5775]

Love all your videos and looking forward to my first split this year.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Francis. Good luck with your split!

[@JosefaRarasea]

Your the best, very clear, really stung me this video ❤❤

[@jayl8813]

Ahh yeah U of G . Some nice local videos for me to follow. Just discovered and can't wait to watch them all.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Jay See you at the Albion?

[@wayneparker9782]

Thank you very much....it amazes me the talented people... who...give there knowledge; that they worked so hard to for.....it is people like you end others that im thankful for.

[@pauldow1648]

Top notch presentation. Thank you for you tubing.

[@thedroneradventures8374]

My question is when would to late in the year be to make splits. Assuming the hive being split is strong. I'm in ontario

[@cornerstonehoneybees2525]

I love how you picked up the queen by hand. I need to practice doing that (on drones)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

When teaching beekeepers to cage queens we start by practicing with drones as you suggest . No risk of stings and they are pretty tough. It's not that hard , it just takes practice. When you can handle and cage a queen you can always keep her safe.

[@terrim.602]

I love your channel! You make sense.

[@lintonmacnamara1469]

Once again an excellent production. Have learnt lots ,thanks you so much. An ol aussie

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

G'day Linton. Thanks for your feedback.

[@63italic]

Great video. Thank you! Sitting down surrounded by bees. No gloves, no face protection, shorts...shaking bees, no fear. How do you do it?? Type like a friggin' superhero!! 😂

[@vivianelliott6542]

Those bees seem to be under dope. Very calm. Lol!

[@muratkavuncuoglu6112]

Greetings from Turkey. thank for your effort. Quite a lot helpfull video.

[@teresakeen3184]

He

[@Dundonian1981]

I have to say your videos are brilliant, I found you tonight and have spent the last 3 hours watching your videos and I would say they are probably the best I have seen. Thanks for posting them I have really enjoyed watching them and I hope you will be making and posting more in the future.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks for your generous comments! We have plans for a few more videos this summer.

[@MikeM-vi3hg]

Thank you so much for your videos. Very good for beginners like myself.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Our pleasure Mike!

[@margaretlindner2703]

Wonderful videos in every way! Thank you so much.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Our pleasure. Thanks so much for your support!

[@jzarwel]

I really like the third way. It seems to be the least invasive to the bees. Thanks!

[@JoseOrtiz-im5wu]

Wow , that was awesome. You make it look so easy. Very good information. Ty

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Jose!

[@drpk6514]

Thank you so much, you are a legend. She will be a fine beekeeper.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

our pleasure!

[@paulcurtis7813]

I enjoyed your videos and am actively following you folks now. It amazes me that no protective gear is being used. Brooke was at least wearing a veil. I still react to a sting once in a while. I guess it must depend on the tolerance level. Is there a secret I’m missing? Keep up the educational videos. Awesome! Thank you.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Paul Yes it is a tolerance level thing but we also select for gentle behaviour when breeding bees. Nice to hear you've enjoyed our videos!

[@jolox.]

Thank you! What a fantastic video! I am interested, but haven't started beekeeping yet. This definitely makes me want to try!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Jolox! Get connected with some local beekeepers to see if it's for you and how to get started where you are.

[@royautrey5226]

What is your inner cover made out of ? It looks so different than the wood inner covers that I use

[@catherinesutthoff1889]

Curious about your inner covers. Why are some inner covers designed with center holes, and others such as yours, not? Thanks.

[@francisconunez6169]

It really depends. The ones with holes help if you have feeders and those inner covers like in the video work fine so the wax doesn't attach to the telescoping cover and make your bee operations like inspecting easier.

[@bradgoliphant]

Hello Paul, how is it that you to without any protection and wearing shorts while beekeeping? Are your bees that gentle are have you just become brave over the years and know your bees? I would love to wear nothing, but have some fears still.

[@RG-gi5bt]

Where did you and Brook get your Bee tool belts?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Paymond I make them and sell them through bee supply companies.The brand name is 'Bee Belt'. Dancing Bee, Innisfil Creek, Backyard Bees and Hungry Bear all carry them. Thanks for your interest,

[@RG-gi5bt]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre - Thank you for your quick response.

[@beeornottobee4507]

👍👍👍 Thank you for interesting video. Hi from Belarus bee's forests! ✊🙏

[@lawrenceearle4134]

great video, but wondering if you have a video where set up a nuc where you let the hive raise their own queen from a frame of eggs?

[@PermacultureHaven]

Awesome! Thank you for this great video. A total beginner here and enjoying your videos a lot!

[@legionofbros7734]

Say if you didn't add a queen to the 2nd hive that you split, how long do you think it would take them to make their own queen? Or would they just return to the original hive given the close proximity?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

1 month for a new queen and she likely wouldn't be the best queen.

[@legionofbros7734]

Thank you for the response!

[@tiernankeane3883]

How does he do this in shorts and a t-shirt?? Our bees would tear us apart without a bee suit no matter how gentle we move frames/boxes..

[@DarrenCharron]

I am newer to beekeeping and have joined my local beekeepers association in Manitoba Canada. I do have a question and I am sure you get asked this lots but how do you handle the bees without a suit on, gloves and vail. I haven’t had much luck with the bees getting used to my scent yet.

[@AlfredoSalkeld]

Check out Randy Oliver’s video about how to handle bees. It’s invaluable.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Darren Good to hear you've joined a local club as that's a great way to learn what works in your area. To answer your question we use gentle Buckfast stock, smoke the hives every time we open them and when possible work with bees on nice days. We do get stung some but prefer to work in clothes that suit the temperature.

[@fionmor4893]

I have a question about the new split.... do you feed them?... because the 3 frames of brood in the ew box had no honey stores or very little .... do you suggest feeding them or would that cause a robbing situation for a weak hive?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Fion I made a mistake in the video and didn't add a full frame of honey. Because we make the splits up when there is some nectar coming in we don't usually feed splits. I would feed though if the bees had to build comb on new frames. You could see our video on Comb Building for more on that topic.

[@fionmor4893]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre thank you so much

[@fionmor4893]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre we had some weird warm/hot weather 85 F in Feb for 2 weeks....I thought I'd do an inspection. I discovered about 10 capped queen cells .... since it was Feb (southern California) I was shocked .... I figured if I didn't split I'd lose this large hive (2 large brood boxes) ...so I made my first split (your # 2 technique) ..... 3 of the frames of capped brood had about 5 capped queen cells.... I followed your instructions on what frames to add to the split... one of the BEST tips you said was split the hive when it is early in the morning to have a lot of been on the brood... great tip.... so far so good... looks like it worked.... I left the other capped queen cells in the original hive incase they were queenless. Is there anything else I should do?.... this is my first attempt at splitting

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

@@fionmor4893 Hi Fion That sounds good. You'll just have to wait to see how it works out now. Fingers crossed!

[@bam-bo]

Very good information. Thank you !!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Our pleasure!

[@betsyharlow799]

I loved this! I can’t work my bees or even sit and watch them without a full bee suit or I will be stung several times. What would you do?

[@PONCEInEffect]

Excellent video!! I'm an absolute Novice .. you're video was perfect & great Job to all, especially Brooke. Brave young Lady. (haha).

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There Thanks from our team for the generous comments.

[@letmeseeitin08]

I have been baffled by the many methods of splitting hives this video broke it done clearly for this new beekeeper. I even took notes.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Tom! It's encouraging to hear how we've been able to help you.

[@natserog]

Love your videos. I have 8 colonies and need to spilt in next few weeks. Very helpful info!! thank you!! --subscribed

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are quite welcome. Good luck with your splits!

[@natserog]

Quick question. If I want to do your second method of splitting but do not have a queen to put in the split, will they figure out they are queen less and make a queen? Or maybe I could find a capped queen cell and put in there? Also how far does the split have to be from the original hive when I split it. thanks again!!!!

[@willworthington]

@@natserog good question. I eagerly await the answer too because I put an uncapped queen cell in a split from another hive the other day and a capped queen cell from another hive. Hope they both work out although I note Paul's preference is to put in a mated queen but I'm not that advanced yet. I only know how to make Queens by leaving eggs in a split and they make their own emergency queen cells. One thing I have to wonder though is when they make 5 emergency cells, can I use one of each of those cells and put them in 5 different splits.

[@ronfisher4751]

So calm around the bees with zero protection obviously a true bee whisperer

[@PlanB_Band]

I have a very strong hive coming out of the winter and am planning to make a split as soon as possible. I want to use an Ontario queen to the new split but only have reliably sourced queen cells available. Do I put a queen cell in the split ? Will the queen emerge go out to mate and come back to the split?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Richard! That's the way I do it. Most nuc producers here take a split and sell it as a nuc. A day later they introduce a queen cell to the parent hive. We get about 85% success. Wait until 27 days after you introduce the queen cell to check for eggs. At that point: -If you have capped brood it is from your cell. -If you have open brood the queen was reared by the colony - If you have laying workers, you lose...and unite the split back to the parent colony with the newspaper method and try again later. Our videos on double nuc production show how it works with queen cells.

[@kennahycopatience5839]

Hi just wanted to find out if it is necessary to add a frame of honey to the split

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Yes it is and we missed pointing that out in the video.

[@davebauer3756]

In method #3, is there a reason you wouldn't want to put a super on right away even if the brood box is really full?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Dave You could add a super at the same time if the split is strong enough.

[@therbi]

great video. What is it that you are using on top of the hives just under the outer cover?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There This is from our FAQ Q2: Why do you use canvas for the inner cover? A2: We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make. They are light, the lids sit down well, there is less excess wax on the frame top bars, and we rarely need to scrape the inner cover. Ants are also less likely to take up residence on a canvas inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas - otherwise known as cotton duck. There will be some shrinkage, so cut it to 1/4″ wider and longer than the length and width of the box. It is available in the USA online here, in Canada at here, or in Hamilton, Ontario here. Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavier weight is better. We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half. Please watch the video “Our Equipment” for more details on the inner cover.

[@Sunnahwaalathar]

you are the best 🐝 keeper .

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks. I'm not sure about that but appreciate the compliment Ahmed.

[@PEGuyMadison]

I have my first hive built from spring of 2018, it has two large supers at this point and they are full. Now I am filling honey supers, can I do a one to three split after our spring honey flow? Blackberries here in the Pacific Northwest are great.. I want to pull some honey and build two new hives.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Guy It's hard for me to say what would work well in your conditions. Just keep in mind that splits need a long time to build up to full strength before going into winter. I'd try a one to two split this year and see how it works out. There is less risk that way.

[@elaponikiewska4252]

For the first method Is there a better time of the day to do the split? Early in the day or later? Just wondering how the bees will know where to return to the parent hive vs the split hive? Thanks!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Ela Any time during the day is fine. Yes some bees go back to the original location. That's why I prefer to move a split to another location.

[@michaelceline4680]

Thank you Paul, Excellent video's.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are welcome Michael. Thanks for the feedback.

[@lyallacheson9422]

Excellent presentation. Thank you

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Lyall I hope you and your bees are doing fine!

[@royautrey6596]

what do you make your inner covers out of? It looks just like a cloth of some kind

[@davidryle1164]

I'm curious, while watching it seemed as if when you inserted the queens between the frames, it looked as if you were placing the face of the cage against the combs rather than face up, am I wrong or did I miss something.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi David. I place the screen facing down. If its facing up honey can drip in and drown the queen. Of course the queen can't breath well if the screen is squashed into the comb. An employee did that last year and fortunately the queen did survive.

[@pero4511]

Great video sir 👌

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Pero!

[@natejude5750]

What is that white cloth looking material that you put between the hive box and top cover? What material is it and where can I get them?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Nate Jude Please see our FAQ #1 below. We cover this topic in a vide called 'Our Equipment' . The video will be posted soon along with 20 others. 1. Why do we use canvas for the hive inner cover? A: We use canvas inner covers for a few reasons. They make it easy to take a quick peek in the hive, and are cheap and easy to make. They are light, the lids sit down well, there is less excess wax on the frame top bars, and we rarely need to scrape the inner cover. We use 18 oz (#8) canvas - otherwise known as cotton duck. It is available in the USA online at: www.bigduckcanvas.com/number-8-18oz-cotton-duck-canvas.html, In Canada at www.jtsoutdoorfabrics.com/18oz-Cotton-Duck-Canvas-Untreated--Natural-60_p_15038.html) or in Hamilton Ontario at europeantextiles.ca/product/canvas-21oz-natural/. Bees chew through thin canvas so a heavier weight is better. We flip it over periodically when new so the bees thoroughly coat it with propolis. An alternative is a feedbag folded in half. 2. Why do we use single brood chambers? A: Our preference is to keep hives in single brood chambers. We use queen excluders above the brood chamber and then add honey supers. We produce more honey managing our hives in singles vs doubles and we find the hive management much easier. It's become quite common in Ontario, especially over the last twenty years. 3. Are our queens for sale? A: We sell a limited number of queens but do not ship outside of Canada. To contact us about queens, please email [e-mail]. There are two other Buckfast breeders in Ontario: Munro Honey www.munrohoney.com/and Ferguson Apiaries fergusonapiaries.on.ca/. 4. What breed of honeybee do we use? A: We work with Buckfast bees. Check out our website if you would like to learn more about them: www.uoguelph.ca/honeybee/breeding.shtml 5. How do you overwinter double nucleus colonies? A: At the University of Guelph, we winter our double nucleus colonies indoors. You can also winter them outdoors by wrapping two double nucs together with insulation on the sides and top. 6. Are double nucleus colonies prone to swarming? A: With a young queen in the nucs and honey supers above we don't have any problem with these nucs swarming in the first year. We do have to transfer them into a full size box early enough the following spring to prevent swarming. 7. Do we add a frame of pollen or honey into a new split? A: Ideally you add both pollen and honey to a new split. Of the two, honey is the most important. 8. Where to purchase some of the products that we use: Coveralls: We really like Dickies 100% cotton coveralls. www.dickies.com/coveralls-overalls/deluxe-cotton-coverall/48700.html?dwvar_48700_color=GY#start=3. We use velcro to straps at the wrist and usually tuck pants into our socks. Plastic Queen Cages: Mann Lake (USA) and their Canadian distributors sell these. They are made by the French company Nicot. www.mannlakeltd.com/hair-roller-cages. I use a wooden plug on the bottom and screw it in place with a #4 screw after pre-drilling. Queen Grafting Microscope: www.amscope.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gooseneck+binocular Mini/mating nucleus boxes: Mann Lake (USA) and their Canadian distributors sell these. They are originally from Europe but are widely available. www.mannlakeltd.com/shop-all-categories/hive-colony-maintenance/queen-rearing/nuc-boxes Queen Pheromone: The pheromone strips were developed in Canada. They are called Tempqueen and are made by Intko Supply Ltd. Suite 604, 3345 Kingsway VANCOUVER, BC, V5R 0A7 Canada [phone]. [e-mail]. Mann Lake in the US and several Canadian bee supply companies carry them. Bee belt and bulk bee box: Our apiary manager Paul Kelly manufactures the Bee Belts and bulk bee box. If you are interested in more information, please email him at: [e-mail]. 10..Should you remove any queen cells in a colony before introducing a new queen in a cage? A: Yes, you should remove the queen cells. Look very carefully to make sure you don't miss one. Shake the bees off each frame to make sure you can see the entire frame. Accepted queens are sometimes killed by virgins that later emerge from queen cells. 11. Can you make a split without adding a mated queen/can a split raise their own queen? A: A split can raise their own queen (if they have eggs), but it is better to purchase a mated queen or queen cell from a local bee breeder. Queens raised by a split are reared under the worst possible conditions, are physiologically inferior, and you aren't taking the opportunity to improve your hive genetics. For a number of reasons, colonies get more aggressive if splits raise their own queens. We always use queen cells that we have reared from breeder colonies so we can maintain and improve our genetics. Cells found in hives can be poorly reared if conditions aren't good or if you use swarm cells you, are unintentionally breeding for swarming behavior. 12. How often do we check for swarm cells? A: We check for queen cells only in colonies that are stronger based on our ratings as described in our “Swarm Control” video. We only do this at the time of year bees are prone to swarming (ie just before the main summer nectar flow). In some colonies, we check twice, a week apart, if we have the time and we've found cells in them previously. We stop looking once the nectar flow gets going and the time for swarm preparation has passed. 13. How old is a queen when we replace her? A: We re-queen if a queen isn't doing well or when she is in her third year. 14. How often should you be stung to lessen the chances of developing anaphylactic reactions? A: Please speak with an allergist if you have any concerns regarding bee sting reactions. You don’t need that many stings to build immunity and reduce your chance of developing an allergy. However, reactions can be very different from one individual to the next. For about three years after starting beekeeping you swell more in the spring when the bee season starts. After that most people don't swell up much at all. Some beekeepers apply stings through the winter to keep building immunity. 15. What do we use as candy for the queen cages? A: You can make the candy using honey and icing sugar but the candy you see in the tubes in our videos are purchased with the cages from Mann Lake beekeeping supplies and their Canadian distributors. In Ontario, it's not legal to use honey in queen candy if you are distributing queens. Honey can contain American Foulbrood spores. A specialized, non-drying, sugar syrup (Nulomoline invert sugar) can be used instead of honey. In any case the candy must be made dry enough that it's crumbly. 16. How do we make pollen patties? A: The patty is made from pollen we collect using pollen traps. We mix the pollen pellets with sugar syrup to a dough-like consistency, form the patties between layers of wax paper and then keep them frozen until needed. They will keep for several months in the freezer. 17. How do we make our grafting bars? A: We cut the wood pieces and attach them to the graft bar with liquid beeswax. We then attach the cups with liquid wax. In both cases the liquid wax is applied with a large syringe. In the past, we made the wax cups but now buy them from www.kelleybees.com/. 18. Do we move full honey supers to the top of the stack so the bees can fill the lower ones? A: Some beekeepers shuffle the supers around and do what's called bottom-supering. We place supers back on in the original order and only add new supers on top (top-supering). That way it's easier to see when the bees need more space. The bees also ripen the honey before moving up to the next box. We sometimes harvest full lower supers and put the top ones that aren't full back on in the original order. 19. Do we ever add brood frames to the cell builder colonies to keep their populations high? A: We do add other frames of sealed brood and sometimes we shake in more young bees from brood frames to boost the hives. About once every three weeks we'll boost the hives in one way or another. 20. How do you level hive stands? A: We level the hive stands periodically with pressure treated wood shims. If the hives are already on the stands, we use a hardwood pry bar and a brick fulcrum to lift each end for shimming.

[@tomflynn78]

Excellent Informative Video, I have it saved in my favourites for every time I need to refresh on splitting. Many Thanks UOG! Would love to see some new videos:)

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Tom Thanks for the encouraging words! We'd love to squeeze in producing more videos. We are planning for more filming this summer.

[@shaofuchang515]

How do you mitigate varroa when prepping the old frames or used boxes for new colonies?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There Mites can't survive without bees so no need to prep the boxes or frames when re using them. You could see our video Dealing With Deadouts for more information.

[@shaofuchang515]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre thank you! Will do! :)

[@rebelgaming7676]

awesome I just got my first hive and it helps alot

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good luck with your bees! Make sure varroa mites don't chew them up and you'll do fine.

[@TheBushBeeMan]

Nice work! Hi from Australia!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi in OZ. Thanks Heaps! . I'm just back from a ski trip in western Canada. I'm surprised there is anyone left in Australia - lots of Australians working in the ski areas. Very nice folks.

[@badugulakshminarayana2068]

Great vedio sir Thank you soooooooooooooooooo much

[@garyshaffer68]

Thanks for sharing. I like to do the nuc splits with a queen cell. And I have found that bees from the North winter better northern queens.

[@paulkelly3266]

Thanks Gary. Queens produced in your climate should do better if they are reared under ideal conditions.

[@Bennnnnnnn123]

Can you split a hive without a queen? Will the colony make a new queen on its own or do you have to "transplant" or intrude a queen for it to work? Thank you for the advice!

[@turnitupmike]

I've watched my mate who looks after the hives in our yard do that. From what I understand you HAVE to ensure you give the split without the queen plenty of ideally fresh EGGS, Then the bees can raise a queen from the eggs they'll feed into queen cells. Need to ensure she survives mating flights then she successfully lays eggs etc if that process fails the hive fails. Need to reorient that split so Need to do short relocation reorient process etc & hope that all works. Seems some finesse/ fine tuning as he mentions above, and others doing videos on splits explain. That's the way instead of buying in an extra queen..... ideally before they want to swarm and early in the season they seem to say is the go.

[@LC-wv7tz]

When you are splitting hives, where do you get the additional queens to make the new split? Seems to me that if each hive has one queen, you'd never be able to have more hives than queens. Obviously missing a piece here, I'm new and interested in beginning to keep bees as a hobby.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi There We raise our own queens. You could watch some of our queen rearing videos to see how! In many areas it is also possible to buy queens from beekeepers who are engaged in queen rearing.

[@jahnzaib951]

Thank you again for helping us I have a request sir Kindly Do a video on record keeping. Beehive tags, income statement, balance sheet etc

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good thought Jahanzaib.

[@2of238]

Hello , can you tell me when is the right time to split the colonies like this? Thanks.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

At the same time swarming would occur in your region.

[@FloryJohann]

Best video I seen. Thank you very much.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You are quite welcome Bonnie. I'm glad you liked it!