Beehive Splits: What They Are?

If you keep bees long enough, you’ll eventually find yourself making a split. In the simplest terms, a split is just what it sounds like, taking one strong colony and dividing it into two (or more).

Sounds straightforward, right? Well, yes and no. The idea is simple, but the ways to split and the reasons for doing it are as varied as the beekeepers out there.

Why Make a Split?

Beekeepers split colonies for all kinds of reasons:

• To increase colony numbers without buying bees
• To make nucs for sale or expansion
• To raise queens (either from their own stock or special genetics)
• To reduce swarming pressure in booming hives
• To help manage Varroa mites by creating a brood break

The Basics of a Good Split

While there are many ways to make a split, the core principles are the same if you want your split to succeed:

1. Start with overwintered colonies. A fresh package or new nuc won’t have the resources to spare.
2. Only split strong hives. If you start with a weak colony, you’ll just end up with two weaker ones.
3. Every split needs a queen. You can either provide one, or give the bees the resources to raise their own.
4. If they’re raising a queen, drones must be flying. The more mature drones in the area, the better the mating success.
5. Queenless splits need fresh eggs or very young larvae. Also nurse bees, pollen, and honey.
6. Arrange frames to mimic a natural brood nest. Worker brood in the center, drone brood outside that, then pollen, then honey. If you don’t have enough honey frames, you’ll need to feed.
7. Protect from robbing. A reduced entrance or a robbing screen goes a long way.

Splits Don’t Always Work

Even when you follow all the rules, a split can fail.

If you don’t see any sign of queen rearing after a few days, add another frame of eggs or newly hatched larvae. If it still doesn’t take after the second try, don’t waste more time. Recombine it with another hive and try again later.

The Easiest Split: The “Top Box” Method

If you’ve got a double-deep hive where the brood nest spans both boxes, you’ve got the makings of an easy split:

1. Take off the top box.
2. Set it on its own bottom board.
3. Add a lid.
4. Walk away.

But even this simple split has some must-dos:

• If you don’t know where the queen is, make sure both boxes have eggs or young larvae.
• Make sure both boxes have honey, pollen, and plenty of nurse bees.
• Reduce entrances to protect against robbing.

Extra Tips for Any Split

• Count nurse bees, not foragers. Foragers will return to the original hive location. What you need to worry about is how many nurses stay behind to care for brood.
• Don’t panic if the queenless split looks empty at first. Over time, nurse bees will age into foragers and the balance will even out.
• Feed the side with fewer foragers. They’ll need syrup and pollen supplement to keep brood rearing on track until they have a field force.

Final Thoughts

Splitting isn’t just a way to get more colonies, it’s also one of the best ways to raise your own locally adapted queens and keep strong genetics in your apiary. Yes, there’s a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.

So don’t overthink it. Plan your split, work with strong colonies, and give your bees what they need to succeed.