Splitting Beehives Using the Reverse Doolittle Method - Part 2

For new beekeepers, splitting hives can be a nervous endeavor. That's okay. It means you care. It doesn't get any easier when you realize there are so many different ways, so many beekeepers with differing opinions on the best method, etc.
If you watched part 1, you know the plan. Now, come along with me as I split a beehive using the Reverse Doolittle method.
What is the Reverse Doolittle method? It is intended for beekeepers who plan to keep their new splits in the same bee yard. The queen and all of the open brood go in a new box for a new location. All of the bees get shaken into the new box. (This ensures the queen is in the new box.) Most of the foragers will leave and return to the original location. But, the nurse bees remain with the new box to take care of the open brood. The shake is intended to keep the new box roughly 50% full of bees when the foragers leave. In the new box (at the original location), the hive gets a boost from returning foragers. Plus, the capped brood will emerge soon, giving a new boost of nurse bees. It is important to leave at least 1 frame of open brood for the colony to make a new queen.
00:00 Introduction
00:45 Setting up the split
01:11 Using the Reverse Doolittle Method
06:38 Found the Queen
12:14 New Split is Queenless
14:02 Conclusion

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

That box with the queen is just about a perfect set up for THEM to swarm.
It appears they need some room for the queen to lay. It seemed packed with bees and packed with soon to have lots of upcoming bees. Maybe give them some blank frames?

[@macbeebuzzin]

The original I split hive was populated enough that it might’ve if it wasn’t split. And your point would be true if I was planning to move the new split to another yard. But, the purpose behind the reverse Doolittle method is splitting within the same yard. The box with the queen is intentionally packed, knowing that many of those bees will drift back to the original hive. Only the nurse bees will remain. So, the queen keeps the nurse bees & the bees who will soon hatch, but will lose most of the foragers. That automatically balances the population while the queen waits for new bees to emerge. The other box doesn’t have much brood or a queen. They have to make a new queen. But, they inherit the foragers who remain home. The population of the box is balances because many of the bees will naturally die off while the hive waits for the new queen to return.

[@cluelessbeekeeping1322]

@@macbeebuzzin Ah yes, true true...the older bees would return to the original hive, but even so, a reason bees will swarm is if there is no place for the queen to lay. It appeared there was no room for her to lay.

[@macbeebuzzin]

Here’s the distinction though. The queen got the capped brood ready to emerge within a matter of days. But, the queened hive didn’t receive the eggs or young larvae to make queen cells. Queens run into situations all the time where they can’t lay for a few days. (Sometimes, that’s even done on purpose as a part of mite control.) But, within a couple of days, much of the capped brood emerged, which opened up the entire colony as laying room. (That’s part of the reason for giving mature, capped brood.) Also, the urge to swarm isn’t entirely related to space. A combination of queen pheromones, young brood pheromones & drone pheromones play a role. The net result of what occurred was precisely what was intended - two hives roughly balanced in population, with my original queen lasting the season, and a fresh queen in the new box with a running start.

[@jimhughes6794]

You are a good speaker but you need to get a mike with wind protection. The wind sound is distracting from your presentation. I will look forward to your progress.

[@macbeebuzzin]

I 100% agree. I hope to get a microphone before next spring.