Using swarm cells to split a bee hive. 

Good job Mr Ed . Happy to see you again Mr Ed God bless 🕇

Thanks so much for this. All this time I thought woodworking tricks were exclusive to carpenter bees.

Mr Ed, you definitely had some good looking cells in that hive! I hope all of your splits are successful!

Mr. Ed, can you take a swarm cell like you just showed in your video, and place it in a laying worker hive, will that work to try to get that hive queen right?

One of the last cell removal was already open.

Hi Mr. Ed, so with this method you don't worry about the old queen? Try and put in new hive?

Your bee jacket looks like never been washed for past 10 years

If a hive swarms will all the bees leave? Or do some go with a new queen and some stay with an existing queen?

Hi there sir, I have a question if you could kindly answer, I have a really aggressive hive, and I was thinking to requeen her with a more friendly queen from another of my beehive. So can I scrape a swarm cell or a superseding queen cell from the donor hive and plant it inside that aggressive hive. Will it take, like the queen bee would hatch and possibly replace that previous queen. or the residing queen would chew off the planted cell. I tried to find the queen twice, but she is unmarked and benefits from my amateurish eye for finding her. Thank you

I don't graft! it's silly to when you got swarm cells, or queen cells ! ~ So i don't play GOD. I let the bees do that! So its queen cells for me, faster and lots better to. The way to get them to make queen cells is . Crowd them with honey. They will start making queen cells. Don't give them any space. Make them go into ~ SWARM MOLD. 😁👍

Always happy to see one of your videos pop up in my Subscription feed.

The first queen to emerge may not always kill the others. In many cases the workers will keep those other queens confined in their cells. Workers can make a small hole in the cells and even feed the new queens. Once the first queen is ready to fly the hive can then issue a virgin swarm and then release the other queens from their cells.

Mr. Ed, I love the suggestion on how to cut those cells off the wood! Thank you!

In the queen world, if you aren't first, you're not going to last. Nature sure is tough. In humans its no longer survival of the fittest, its survival of the loudest. Thanks for the video Jeff.

Its one of the best ways. I just wanted to say that I am that guy that commented a couple years ago that you inspired me to get into bees. Now I have 10 hives and planning to split to 30 this year! I setup a livestream of my bees. I won't post it here on your video though. I respect your space. You do gods work.

I got 2 swarms of KONA HAWAIIAN BEES 1 last year and 1 this month. from a friend that spend a lot of money on there asses. I told him they will all come to me. He laugh, I'am laughing to! There just Gorgeous. They look like a Mink Stole. When hanging, there a little bit bigger honey bee as well > I LOVE EM

This is great, probably the most friendly description and useful split and descriptions of the queen cells. Much appreciated, god bless

I read a book by a beekeeper, & he wrote that he was watching bees taking rubbish out of a hive when the hive woke after winter, & he was surprised when he saw a bee come out carrying a large pin, then he remembered that in the year before he had used the pin to fasten a transplanted queen cell onto a comb.

This has nothing to do with bee keeping, but It says Jeff Horchoff Bees but you always say Mr. Ed??? I have really enjoyed watching your bee keeping videos and I love that you are always thankful to Jesus!

I'm a really big fan of your channel Mr Ed but I really, really want to grab your bee keeper's jacket and give it a wash! GT Charlie's jacket is blindingly white when he stands next to you. God Bless.

Another fantastic video Mr Ed.....but I'm confused on 1) where is the old Queen, and 2) what did you do with her? I'm used to splitting off the old queen into a new hive, but unless I missed it you didn't find her nor did you even really look.... so just putting cells into both splits and letting nature take care of the old Queen? Thx

I know this will be an ignorant question, but.... If you put a section of queen excluder across the entrance will it keep them from swarming? Just in case nobody is around to catch them??

Can I use a frame that has emergency queen cells from a hive that was queenless to start another hive. I bought a queen to give to the queenless hive. She is not released yet. In cage put in hive today. I added two frames of larva, brood and eggs two days ago to verify hive was queenless. They made some queen cells. I want to pull those frames and start another hive and let them raise a queen. Is that possible? I will pull a couple frames from another hive to go with them.

Always hear that you shouldnt shake a frame with capped queen cells because you could damage/kill the queen in that cell.

I had a hive naturally swarm last week. Not good traits. Too late to swarm.

why not just graft your own queens instead of risk your bees of swarming. Also creates gentle bees grafting then letting your bees go into swarm mode. not the best way to split

It's that time a year again in some places. Soon here in Indiana. I must say the fillet knife is a welcome addition to my bee keeping equipment. Tip, just a sliver will do.

You call them superseding and swarm cells but aren't they all to replace a queen? I don't understand that difference?

When the new queen hatches does she instantly go on a search and destroy mission to kill the queen👸🐝? Also does that colony instantly accept that new queen out of the cell?

Hi Mr Ed don’t they have a washing machine at the abbey I’m not being rude but that nice white jacket

Mr. Ed, sir, How do you place those swarm cells in a new colony? Please make a video.

Thank you Mr. Ed for the videos! God bless.

As always: I look forward to your videos and enthusiasm every week. Really liked the tip of cutting off the swarm cells near the end. Thanks again and God bless. Carl

If you remove all the swarm cells do you still need to split the original colony or can you just add another super for room

You need some nuc boxes. Drop a frame with a cell into each box?

How can you spot the difference between a swarm cell and a superceding cell?

Good work 👍

Well Mr. Ed I have been feeding one to one sugar water and my bees are going like gangbusters . Rob.

Ii see you don't paint some boxes, do they end up rotting or do you have some treatment on them? thanks

🐞What is the normal lifespan of a queen? Thanks.🐞

Can you make a split with a superseding cell?

I never knew that beekeeping is so complicated. Where does all that commercial honey comes from? (no including the fake stuff coming from China). There must be bigger facilities, they couldn't have a bunch of bees. I don't get it. Anybody knows?

In nature when the beekeeper isn't there in time for a 'split', when the colony/hive is swarming...does the natural swarm actually leave before the queen cells hatch? or after they are sure a virgin queen is already alive? When is the exact timing when the natural split would occur in regards to queen cell timing?

The bee at 9:05 is like, “holddddddd up. We didn’t approve filming this morning... we’re in the middle of moving and stressed enough as it is”

Those cells makes your liver quiver!!!! I get excited to see them in my hives too! Looks like a grafting bar full of cells!! Once you make a woman mad it takes something really sweet to calm them down. Thanks Mr. Ed!!!

Wow Jeff! Those queen cells are amazing. I love your videos and how you explain everything and I dont even keep bees, yet. Lol

This is a great video. So you split the hive and kept it from swarming and you're going to end up with two new queens, is that correct?

Yet another great video Me Ed. Chris UK.

Looking good Jeff!..our bees here are ahead of schedule this year..weather has been nice for a change!😃👍🏻👍🏻

What about swarm cells on a plastic frame?

2nd

I've heard someone talk about bee bread. What is it? What is royal jelly, and what's the difference between honey comb, bee brood, and drone colonies?

If you have a moment check out our "poor man's incubator" for extra queen cells that are left over. Especially after splits to bank for later use.

Thanks you validate my methods. I break up a hive in "about to swarm mode" and it really is the way. This big brute turns into 6 kittens that manage themselves leaving me time to focus on the honey makers. A sustainable apiary is like that. Perpetually rebuilding from the swarm cells.

How many queen cell do you allow? What the difference between superceding cell and swarm cell. I just the once the old queen leaves it is a swarm.

I don't understand why you want to keep swarm cells? Super seeding cell surely make more sense to keep as if the swarm cell hatches, that will take Bee's with it? I understand why you do splits if I have the understanding of the terminology right. How does a Queen know its passed its sell by date? Does the Queen that knows its going to be replaced go with the existing swarm cell hatch? Or is this an age thing like Humans, she knows her egg production is not enough for the Hive? I honestly find this fascinating and trying to understand the basic mechanics of the Hive. So splitting is really about keeping the females happy and at home each year, the only thing with that ism once split, would those Bee's not just return to the original Hive they come from or is their drive an easy existence to be happy just with a new Queen to serve. I have wondered this question before what is the recognition process of their Hive, is it the GPS system to the Queen or the Hive?

I love this video 1st I hope you got subs 1M

I understand the wisdom of leaving supercedure cells in a box with a queen that hasn't been located (she'll be replaced anyway) but is it not a risk to put or leave any swarm cells in a hive when the queen hasn't been located? Is there a danger of that inferior queen (that the bees had begun to replace) swarming when the swarm cells get close to emerging?

Hi Jeff, love your videos. You have taught me a lot!! I split one of my hives this week afternoon checking for queen cells after I watched the video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!

Always learning from you.

Where do you place them in the box? Do you attach them somehow & with what?

Mel Disselkoen has a way to get the bees to make swarm cells, I don’t know if they will do it if they don’t have swarming inmind

Not gonna lie I found you Mr. Ed through the rooster, I don’t know what made me wanna watch bee videos but I am hooked. You’re such a charismatic and charming man. I love the content and your work I hope you keep it up.

Looking good Mr. Ed...that beard is bodacious!

You are happy in your work and that is a blessing. God bless you Jeff.

I didn't see a beehive get split at all.

Do you do honey bee removal in Baton Rouge?

Thus was another great video, thanks for showing. Next week we are going to have nights above freezing for the first time this year. God bless you and all of the bees.

Saludos amigo feliz tarde

اللهم بارك

Fifty Shades of White :)

Watch !!!!!! Soz but how

Wow im still waiting to catch my second swarm

Carpenter you are. Good advice cutting wood.

time to wash the suit i think

Charlie nice jacket and it’s nice and white

In a recent video where you did a cut out you had 21 queen cells that you kept to take to the Abby. In this video your making splits using the swarm cells. Since queen cells come in different sizes as well as different shapes at times, do the larger, straighter queen cells make better queens? Do you have a preference?

If I were you, I'll put these queen cells caged in my incubator a few days, until they emerged out. After that, I'll be sure they are alive and which kind of queens are they. Next, mating nucs..... and so on. Good job with the fish fillet knife :)

Question for you,how do you deal with ants ??

Hi Mr. ED, Thanks For Sharing 10-11-2021

In part because of your channel, I'm putting a few hives up on my parish's property. Wrangling bees will give me something to do between visiting shutins and office visits. Maybe free altar candles will be a nice perk.

Hi Jeff. Neil UK here. Thanks for a very practical view of making splits...Thing is, I've been bee keeping for about 3 years and started out with 1 colony. I've done splits as per the established wisom and now have 6 colonies. That's great, but I can't afford the cost of an exponential growth of my colonies! I've run out of kit, what options do I have?

I think my bees are just getting started. A little slow going here in SW Iowa. Low numbers and little brood but I think things will pick up soon I hope God willing. Thanks for sharing Mr. Ed you always brighten my day.

Good trick Mr. Ed

Is this bee king?

Well i just put this super cell retrieval in my bag of tricks. Pretty cool Mr.Ed ! Keep on trucking buddy

if they have made a superseding cell, why make a swarm cell? Unless the old queen is about to die and there are too many bees in the hive so it needs to split/swarm.

This was such an informative video. Incredible. Why doesn't the old queen attack a rival in a superceding cell rather than waiting for her own demise? Is it an age thing? Or allies in hive? Fascinating. Great upload, God bless Mr Ed👍

Your Arm was in the way, who's the camera man?? Not Good Time Charle....😉❤️💯

I enjoyed the video thank you. Might there be a means of contacting you directly?

Hello Jeff. I hope all's going well for you and your family. I enjoyed your video very much. Real feelgood stuff and very interesting. Thank you for uploading it. God bless and see you soon.

Other than location on the frame, is there any difference between the superceding [sp?] cell vs the swarm cell? Also if you successfully harvest either extra types of queen cells, could you use either to incorporate into a new hive?

Swarm cell

Great informative video as always got a quick maybe dumb question to ask do queen bees have stingers and also do you sell your honey online or will ship it out of state

A lot of beekeepers out here on RU-vid you're probably my favorite I like your attitude and I like your knowledge I just did my first split I had five hives three made it through the winter I did the method where you put a frame of brood and an empty box with the nurse bees it seems to be working out so far

got my first hive a few weeks ago, after not doing bees for almost twenty years. they looked like they would swarm. so I did a split. 2 frames of covered brood 1 frame eggs one frame of pollen and nectar 8 days later there is a beautiful queen cell in the new split

Hey Edd, If you aready have capped swarm cells doesnt that usually mean that they have already have swarmed? love your videos.

I have noticed some of the bees are the Abby are under shed roofs. My question is how do you deal with wasp that like to build nest in those types of structures and do they impact the bees?

Awesome Video! I have ruined so many swarm cells trying to move them. Thank you for the tip on cutting out swarm cells.

The Irish Spring soap style of carving.