Solstice Splits
- Posted
Introduction
No matter the style of hive or experience as a beekeeper you likely have heard about a nuc or nucleus colony. Often, it’s regarding purchasing honeybees that come with 4-5 frames of drawn-out comb, honey, brood, worker bees and a queen. These can range from $180 to $200 plus to purchase. What if you could create your own nucs anytime you want with a few simple steps. What if it’s something you can even do not just in the spring but also in the middle of the summer – say, on the summer solstice (June 20th, 2024). What if this process not only creates a new colony (yes, that simple) for you but also could increase your honey yield in the fall, provide resources to increase your colonies going into winter, provide replacement colonies to cover your winter losses, or just simply save you money.
Nucs
So, what really is a nuc or nucleus hive. If we consider what equipment is used for a nuc it is usually a smaller version of the style of hive you use. Smaller means less frames (normally 5) and not necessarily shorter boxes but all nucs should include inside of them a queen, worker bees, brood, honey, and space for the queen to continue laying in. Now some beekeepers, primarily in the mid to southern states might suggest working with nucs of 2 to 3 frame size but here we will focus on the more industry standard frame count of 5 which you normally receive when purchasing a nuc.
Nucs that you purchase are usually picked up at the beekeeper’s pickup location. You either bring your own equipment and they transfer the colony into it (assuring you see the queen and brood) or you get your bees in a temporary box made from waxed cardboard or corrugated plastic and take it home to do the transfer yourself. Though this type of box might be first to mind for you, here we will consider any container that can hold at least 5 frames as a possible nuc if inside it contains what was mentioned above. For instance, an 8-10 frame single deep Langstroth could be used as a nuc, or you could have built a swarm trap that is now empty later in the year. We will assume you have access to one of these items as we continue.
Benefits
Let’s discuss a few of the possible benefits before we jump into the steps of creating one.
- Nucs allow beekeepers to increase their number of colonies efficiently and over most of the spring and summer. We are not suggesting this process to be undertaken when you are in a dearth or closer than a month until one is expected for your area. This is why the summer solstice is likely the latest you may want to try it since in many areas the dearth is a month off from this date…more on that point later.
- Nucs are ideal environments for raising new queens. Whether you intentionally want to raise more queens for yourself or others or end up with some extra queen cells this process will be very useful.
- Serving as an insurance policy, nucs can replace lost or weakened colonies. Throughout the year, whether coming out of winter or finding a failed colony during one of your summer inspections having extra resources will remove the pressure on a beekeeper and allow them to make good choices on what to do.
- Nucs facilitate better resource management, allowing for the redistribution of resources such as honey, pollen, and brood to strengthen other colonies in need, promoting overall apiary health. We understand that propping up a failing colony is a controversial topic but simply having an extra colony to replace it might be another tool a beekeeper can benefit from.
- Nucs help with disease management and Varroa Mite control. Many studies have shown the benefit for natural Varroa Mite control of creating artificial brood breaks (an extended time when the queen is either not present or not laying). This type of management approach can also benefit the bees by allowing them to express more genetic resistant trails against Varroa rather than depending on human intervention and treatments which ultimately will foster stronger Varroa.
- Nucs can assist with increasing honey production. Often colonies are increased during the honey flow to improve production. Nucs can provide the boost to another colony.
These are but a few of the possible benefits and I’m sure there are others that could be listed but I think one of these will likely be the reason that most beekeepers consider this process.
Timing
Though the seasons have been mentioned above the most ideal time to do a split is when the colony is strong and full of brood, bees, and resources. No matter the season if the colony isn’t ready for a split don’t do it. If you do you will likely end up with future issues that outweigh the benefits you were hoping for.
So, what should we be looking for to determine if a colony is ready to split. In the parent colony you should have at least 4-6 frames of brood, a few frames of honey, a couple frames with at least partially empty cells, and a lot of bees. Of primary importance is the number of brood frames you have and at what stage the brood is in on the frame. Colonies are usually in this state of abundance in the spring when many beekeepers split their colonies and capture swarms from colonies that have naturally split/swarmed. Another time is during a flow and specifically a month before the dearth begins – summer solstice.
It’s important to be conscious of your available time over the next month after you split the hive. You must have time to inspect on a weekly basis. Since this is the summertime consider if you will be home or on vacation and what your weekends will be like. Just remember the bees won’t care, nor will they wait so they fit nicely into your summer plans. If you can’t be on their schedule, then you should not consider splitting for the bee’s sake. What will be the most helpful is to be able to inspect your split and the parent colony each Saturday or Sunday sometime around noon, so your inspections are as easy as possible.
Methods
There are a few well known methods out there both old and new that beekeepers turn to when splitting. One is the Demaree method which was described as a way to control swarming by George Demaree, from Kentucky, in American Bee Journal in 1892. The other more recent method, also addressing swarm control, is called On The Spot (OTS) Queen Rearing by Mel Disselkoen (http://www.mdasplitter.com/) which he began promoting prior to 2009. Mr. Disselkoen resides in Ohio and presents frequently to local clubs.
I only mention these two methods knowing that there are others out there both old and new but feel the basic ideas and steps in making a successful split can be gleaned from either or both. Since all successful methods must abide and work within the behaviors and timing of the bees neither method is that much removed from the other even if they might highlight a particular point or two differently along the way.
So, what are the basic method assumptions:
- A successful splitting process will work within and invoke the bees natural and evolutionary swarming tendencies without causing them to swarm or failing to develop properly.
- Splitting should result in the creation of one or more new colonies while maintaining the original colony and queen.
- Splitting processes should be completed within a month.
- The beekeeper will understand the critical events and timing required and be available to complete important tasks.
Steps
If there is one thing beekeepers certainly learn over time is the importance of preparation and splitting is a time you want to have thought through what you are planning to do, have the equipment and tools ready, and have considered what help you might need. Stuck in an apiary without the equipment, tools, or help you need will certainly frustrate you and the bees. Let’s approach the process from a calendar-week perspective which can be applied to any month but will follow the same week/day cadence no matter when you start.
- Week 0 – This is the week prior to the week you will split.
- Goal(s) – Determine if your colony is strong enough to split. Do a very quick inspection and note how many frames of brood, honey, and open comb you have. Assure the colony looks healthy.
- Actions/Steps
- Check the weather forecast for the day you plan to split. Confirm you don’t have any weather events to consider.
- Check your equipment to assure there is nothing you need to purchase or make. Do you have that extra deep box or swarm trap? What about some extra frames?
- Call up your friend and schedule the date if you need help.
- Determine where you will place the new split. Do you have an extra stand?
- Week 1 – Day 1 – Splitting Day.
- Goal(s) – Complete the splitting process and end up with the split in its new home in a secure location.
- Actions/Steps
- Setup – Set the nuc box you will use to receive the split right next to the parent colony. It can be elevated or simply put on the ground. Have your smoker ready even if you don’t always use one. This will be very disruptive to the bees and keeping them calm will help everyone.
- Queen/Brood – With the knowledge of last week’s inspection begin working your way through the frames looking for the queen. This can take a little time, but it is the most important step and if not completed will halt the process. When you find the queen simply put the frame that she is on in the nuc box (frame 1). It is not really important what frame it is, but a fully capped brood frame would be best. Now pull one more fully capped frame of brood and put it into the nuc box (frame 2). You want to give the queen fully capped frames so she gets foragers as soon as possible and so the parent colony is left with frames with more eggs and larvae that they can choose from to create queen cells.
- Extra Nurse Bees – Find two frames of nurse bees and shake them into the nuc box. This overpopulates the nuc assuring you don’t run short if flying workers make their way back to the parent colony. This is also your first foragers once the capped brood begin to emerge.
- Resources – Pull a frame of honey fully capped if possible and put it next to the brood frames in the nuc box (frame 3). Lastly, pull a final frame with as much open and empty cells as possible and put this on the other side of the brood frames in the nuc box (frame 4). A final frame of simple foundation can now be added to fill out the 5 frame nuc box (frame 5).
- Close – Your split is complete. Push your frames together in the parent colony and if you need to add frames add them to the outside and not within the brood area. The parent colony is now queenless. Close the lid. Put the lid on your split which is queen right and set it in the new location your prepared 6’ or more away from the parent. I also suggest placing stick or grass loosely at the entrance to confuse them and cause them to reorient to their new location. You are done. Go relax and plan for next week. You might have the opportunity to create multiple splits the following week if you want so again consider your goals and needs such as extra boxes and other topics as you did in week 0.
- Week 2 – Day 8 – Queen Cells
- Goal(s) – Confirm you have new queen cells in the queenless parent colony. Determine what to do with any extra queen cells.
- Actions/Steps
- Inspect every frame of your hive. It is interesting to find that even a small patch at the bottom of a honey frame could have had some eggs if the queen was previously short on space to lay. Look everywhere. This is your first pass through, and you should mark the headrails of every frame that has a queen cell and the number you see.
- Now stop, close the lid if there is one, and think about what you might want to do. If there are multiple queen cells on multiple frames, likely, then you have the opportunity to split again. Do you want to? Do you have the equipment?
- If you only want to keep this colony then squish all but two of the best largest queen cells. If you want more colonies then get another box and as you did on day 1 put two frames of brood, one frame of resources and one more frame into a second box. Equalize the bees by shaking frames of bees into the new split.
- Now put everything together. Move the additional boxes to their new locations. Your queen cells will need 1 week for her to emerge, 1 week to mature and mate, and then she should start laying in week 5/day 29.
- Think about how you will give the old queen more room in a few weeks. Relax, everything is moving along normally. The bees have this under control.
- Week 5 – Day 29
- Goal(s) – Confirm you see eggs in all queenless splits. No need to spend time hunting for the queen if you find eggs. Find eggs and then close it up.
- Actions/Steps
- This is a good time to check in on the old queen and see if you need to give her more room. She has been working away and likely if you used a swarm trap box to put her in it will be packed with bees by now and they will need more room.
- Inspect each of your splits that had queen cells. Move inward from the resource frames and as soon as you see eggs or larvae close it back up noting how many frames in you went in from the side or divider board.
- If you see they have packed out the outside resource frames, then add a new frame for them to start working on. Also consider how much space their current home has and if you need to begin planning for making or buying new equipment.
- If you don’t see eggs (assure you have magnification and proper lighting) then wait one more week. Close it up and come back.
- Week 6 – Day 36
- Goal(s) – Confirm you see eggs.
- Actions/Steps
- If you still don’t see eggs, consider splitting these resources and adding them to your other colonies.
- By this time, you may have a worker who is getting ready to lay. You certainly have workers who won’t recognize the queens in your other colonies so be cautious. Its very easy to add to many bees from the queenless colony to one colony overwhelming them and jeopardizing the queen.
- I would recommend either of these steps.
- Introducing the queenless colony into a queen right colony with a queen excluder covered in newspaper with a few slits in it. This will create time for they have time to adjust to the pheromones of the new queen while they eat through the paper.
- Shake off the frames of the queenless colony and share them with your other colonies. Then dump the bees in your yard allowing them to beg their way into whatever colony they eventually come to. This second method might seem harsh, but you certainly don’t want your new queen to get balled and killed by a large group of invading bees you put into her hive. You also don’t want an unmated worker, who’s ovaries have begun to develop without the presence of the pheromones from a mated queen, to hunt and kill your queen in the queen right colony thinking she is a queen.
- If you use the second method reduce the entrance of your queen right colony (ies) for a few days allowing them to better defend themselves. This is also a good thing to do if you find colonies are being robbed.
Honey Yield
If your intensions are to increase honey yield the above splitting process, though more time consuming than possibly other techniques, can improve colony size and honey yield. How does this work? During the splitting process the larger portion of the parent colony is left queenless and begins creating queen cells. During this time for about 4 weeks until the new queen begins laying there are no eggs, yet the foragers continue to do their work without much of it going to feed hungry brood. That means a larger portion of the honey is stored away. The queen right colony continues to grow and produce more foragers as is normal.
At 5 weeks you have a decision to make. Do I continue with the extra colony or do I pinch off the old over wintered queen and add everyone back together (using the newspaper method) creating a super colony that has a larger force of foragers and more honey stores because of the brood break. If you choose to combine then you have (1) successfully requeened the super colony with a new and vigorous laying queen, (2) gained 4 weeks of high levels of honey production and (3) expanded the forager population to add even more to it. You haven’t lost a colony from your original count, and you’ve still worked within the bee’s natural behaviors.
Conclusion
Lots of things might happen over this 5-to-6-week time period with lots of opportunities to learn something new. If you stay patient, keep your inspections short and stick to your goals you will find that the bees know how to take care of the rest. Congratulations! You have actually participated in their natural and desired evolutionary behavior they complete every year. This method of splitting works with the bees natural swarming behaviors so your chances of success are similar to theirs if they had done it all by themselves. This method also doesn’t require any manual queen introduction process or financial cost to you as the beekeeper. It only requires your time and patience. Remember, you always have the old queen working away somewhere so if all the queen cells fail try again. This is a win-win process. So, if you haven’t tried it hopefully you feel a little more confident in giving it a try over the next few weeks as we approach the Summer Solstice.
