Beekeeping In The Spring: Splits & Swarm Control

Beekeeping in the spring is all hands on deck for swarm control and for making splits. 50% off all my ONLINE BEEKEEPING COURSES through March 20th, 2025.

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This video was filmed Using:
Camera: Canon R10
Lens: Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM
Microphone: Comica Wireless Lavalier Microphone, BoomX-D2 2.4G Compact

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Plan ahead for spring. Feed your bees this spring by using my spring feeder boards. Check it out:

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Whoa, you made it all the way down here! Thank you ♥️ Love you

[CorineNieuwburg]

Hey David, Thanks for the video and for al the advice! Good idea to re-Q a colony by using the Q-x, find the eggs, and walk away with the box where the Q is in; nice!

[HiveTales]

Timing is everything when it comes to making splits! Jump in too early, and you risk losing colonies to cold snaps. Wait too long, and you're dealing with swarming chaos. The key? Watch those night temperatures—above 45°F is your go-to signal. Also, making a split before they swarm keeps things in your control. Love the breakdown of methods, especially keeping it simple with a four-frame split and moving the old queen. Less panic, more success! And let’s not forget mite control—treating before splitting is a game-changer. Solid advice all around!

[amandaaskew]

Thanks for all the advice, David! Lots of good reminders, as I will soon be deciding which and when to split. Last year, I made my first walk away split following your tips. It was very successful! The split raised their own gorgeous, very productive, blonde queen.

[nmcooke]

Second year beekeeper in North Carolina. Have found your videos incredibly helpful.

Missed you at the NC/SC conference this year but hope to catch you next time. So keep coming back!

[JessicaAllenOctoberDragon]

I love that you have a youth scholarship

[aaronparis]

We like to wait until mid April or may to make splits in Nova Scotia

[violettalewandowski]

Love your videos, learn soo much, one question Demaree split, do they have only one entrance in the bottom or two?

[bachmanmwb]

Awesome video as always! Curious your thoughts on the use of a queen castle as a method to control swarms & raise queens for potential re-queening later in the year?

[davidpotts]

I have a question. I have a hive that is coming out of winter with a weak population 1 1/2-2 frames bees., queen rite. The queen is not laying much due to such a weak population. I was able to add a deep frame of capped brood w/ bees on the frame from a donor hive. Put on 1/2 Pak of HiveAlive fondant and 1/2 a pollen patty right over cluster area and a quart of syrup, top jar feed. I have done everything possible to get this hive to rebound and we have 1 week 70 degree day temps. Do I have good chance to get this hive back on track

[anthonypeterson]

One of my hives has extremely low population, approximately 2, 000-4000 bees, another hive has 2 deeps, jam packed with bees. Its march 14th, temp should be around 80°, south central Wisconsin, I'm planning on stealing a couple frames of bees from the large hive and add to the small hive. Is there a chance that this will save the small hive from death?

[simonbiggs]

Understand adding the frames to the split, but how many bees do you shake into the split, ?

[rickvitt]

Completing my 1st year as a BK. Weirdest thing in 1of 2 hives I keep. All the brood appears to have hatched but no memorable mixed brood. Hive didn’t roar like it would if queenless - especially with this hive (HOT), no visible eggs, and no queen
Going back to look here shortly.

[kathyhathaway]

I thought your saying is “COWBOY UP”. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️.

[beestkeepings]

Hi, David. I'm Jack. I sent you a product from our BEESTKEEPING | Royal Queen Rearing & Royal Jelly Kit that we sell, have you had a chance to look at it? I sent you an e-mail about it.

[kathyhathaway]

Ya and you
Learn real quick how to say Bad Words. LOL.