• To split a hive, you will remove some frames from an existing hive and put them into a new one, ensuring that both hives contain an egg-laying queen.
  
  
• The best time to split a hive is typically in spring when the bees are building up their numbers and there is plenty of forage available.
  
  
• When you are splitting a hive, it’s best to move the original hive slightly, and place the new hive directly beside the original one. As the bees are geo-located to the hive, this should ensure that you will get an even number of bees returning to each hive.
  
  
• In a cold climate, you could place the new hive directly on top of the original, to warm the new hive.
  
  
• You can either buy a queen from a breeder or else let the bees raise their own queen. An advantage of letting the bees raise their own queen is that you don’t need to find the queen when splitting the hive. As long as both hives have eggs or larvae under three days old, the bees will be able to raise a new queen.
  
  

Instructions for Letting the Bees raise Their Own Queen

• Move the original about half a hive width, and place the baseboard of the new hive directly beside it. Put the brood-box onto the baseboard and remove half of the frames. 
  
  

TIP: Use your smoker regularly during this process, it will help to keep the bees calm, and also to clear them away from the area you need to work on.

• Remove the lid, and the super if you are using one.
  
  
• Gently remove a frame from the edge of the hive, and check the brood cells for bee eggs or very young larvae (less than three days old).
  
  
• When transferring the frames into the new hive, you want to follow the natural pattern that bees like to have in the hive: honey at the edges, followed by pollen and drone cells with brood in the centre.

TIP: Naturally drawn comb can be weak, so be careful not to break it when inspecting the frames.

• Put some of the frames from the original hive into the new hive, ensuring that both have some frames with bees and young larvae in them.
  
  
• It’s a good idea to put frames with a lot of capped brood into the new hive. This will help get the new hive up and running.

TIP: If the bees have joined frames together with burr comb, it’s a good idea to separate them using the hive tool before removing the frames.

• While you work, check the frames and hive for any signs of disease or pests.
  
  
• When moving a frame to the new hive, don’t shake it. You want the bees on the frame to enter the new hive too.
  
  
• Split the frames more or less evenly between the two hives, ensuring both have some bee eggs or young larvae in them. Frames with a lot of honey can be left in the original hive.
  
  
• Keep the brood frames together in the centre of the new hive, then fill in the brood box of each hive with empty frames.
  
  
• Put the lids back onto your hives, and you’re done.
  
  
• You will need to check the hives over the next few weeks to ensure the bees do raise a new queen. If they don’t, you will need to either merge the hives again or order a new queen.

If you order a new queen, the process is slightly different. Two advantages of ordering a new queen are: you can get a queen selected for specific traits, and you won’t lose the few weeks of egg-laying time that it takes to raise a new queen.

Instructions for Adding a New Queen

• Split the hive in the same way as described above, but make sure you know which hive the queen is in.
  
  
• Wait at least eight hours after the split before you add the new queen to the queenless hive.
  
  
• The queen cage usually comes with one end blocked with candy, that the bees chew through to free the queen. Make sure the cap of the queen cage is pointed upwards and at an angle. This will ensure that if the cap melts, the queen can avoid the melting candy.
  
  
• Place the queen cage at an angle between two central brood frames, then put the lid back on the brood-box. She should emerge from the cage within a day, by which time the bees will be accustomed to her pheromones.

• As above, it’s best to split hives in spring when there’s lots of forage available. If there are not many plants in bloom in your area, you may need to feed your bees, this will depend on the season and your location. If you’re unsure, talk to your supplier or other local beekeepers to get their advice.