Introduction
Colony division is a method of multiplying bee colonies, i.e., producing two or more colonies from a mother colony. Colony division is used to control swarming, as well as in commercial beekeeping to increase the number of colonies. The colonies can be used to increase the number of colonies in the apiary for honey production or sold for income. Colony division during the honey flow season can reduce honey production
and it is necessary to decide whether division or honey production should have priority
Points to Consider
Time/Season
Usually the best time for colony division is during the honey flow season. According to geographical location, colony division can be performed twice a year. For example, in foothill and plains areas, first between mid February and mid April and again between early October and early November. Commercial beekeepers can carry out artificial queen rearing and use the queens for colony division as needed.
- Colony division should not be performed in rainy or cold periods.
- The best days are reasonably sunny and warm.
- Colony status
- The mother colony selected for division should be strong and healthy. A strong colony means 10 frames covered with bees of which 6 contain brood, and sufficient stored food (honey and pollen).
- The colony should have drones and queen cells.
Weather
Colony Characteristics
Only the best colonies should be selected for multiplying. Selection should be based on the following
Characteristics:
- Egg laying capacity of the queen
- Honey and pollen collection capacity of the colony
- Good defensive behaviour and resistance to pests and disease
- Low tendency to swarm or abscond
- Capacity for rapid recovery of the population during the onset of honey flow, and able to maintain the population during the off season
Planning for Colony Division
Before dividing a colony, the mother colony should be selected, a decision taken on the time and season of division, and all the required materials collected together and prepared.
Equipment and Materials
- Empty hive including a dummy board
- A strong mother colony
- A frame fitted with comb foundation and empty comb
- Feeder/sugar
- Colony inspection equipment
Methods for Colony Division
Natural division using queen cells developed during swarming
The presence of multiple queen cells in a colony during the swarming season indicates a need for division. Dividing such colonies and using the queen cells in new daughter colonies can help control swarming. However, although it solves the immediate problem of swarming it does not help improve the genetic traits.
Colony division from queen production
Select the best colony based on the selection criteria given above. Produce queens from this colony before the onset of honey flow. These queens can be used to replace the old queen and to start new daughter colonies. The mother colony can be multiplied into several nucleus colonies but each should have at least 2 brood combs and 3–4 combs with food (nectar and pollen). The prepared colonies can then be sold or migrated according to need.
The steps are as follows:
- Select the most appropriate mother colony.
- Move the hive about 1 foot (30 cm) to the left of the existing location.
- Place an empty hive about 1 foot (30 cm) to the right of the previous location, leaving the old location empty.
- Take 3 to 4 brood combs from the mother colony together with the existing queen and place in the empty hive.
- Keep 1 mature queen cell with 3 to 4 brood combs in the mother colony.
- Divide the combs with food stores equally between the hives. Remove any remaining The mother colony selected for division should be strong and healthy. A strong colony queen cells.
- Divide the adult bees equally between the hives.
- Check whether the incoming foragers are entering both hives equally.
- If more foragers are entering one of the hives, move it further from the previous location and move the other hive closer to the previous location. Continue to adjust until equal numbers of foragers are entering both hives. Add frames with empty combs or comb foundation to the colony with the queen after colony division.
- Close and cover the hives.
- Divided colonies can be moved to the desired position by increasing the distance from the old position at a rate of 1 to 1.5 feet (30 to 45 cm) per day in the evening after the bees have stopped foraging.
- Divided colonies should be fed with sugar syrup in the evening for 3 days after division and comb foundation added as necessary.