Splitting a colony step by step

Splitting stingless bees requires no special tools, but it does require working quickly, gently and in the right order. The whole operation should take under twenty minutes.

Step 1: open and read the nest

Lift the lid and wait half a minute. Identify the brood mass, the pollen pots, the honey pots, and look for queen cells — noticeably larger cells, usually at the edge of the brood. If there are no queen cells, close the lid and postpone the split.

Step 2: divide the brood

Separate the brood mass into two parts, each with larvae at several stages. The part going into the new box must include at least one queen cell. Give each side some pollen and honey pots as well — the daughter needs supplies for its first weeks.

Step 3: keep the orientation

The brood must go in the same way up as it was in the original box. Placed upside down, the larvae die. Prop it so it stands securely without being pressed.

Step 4: divide the bees

Bees cling to the brood, so dividing brood divides bees too. You can brush a few more from the walls of the original box into the new one. The mother keeps the existing queen and needs fewer workers.

Step 5: place the new box

Either more than three kilometres away, or immediately beside the original and then moved under a metre at a time. Placing it a few dozen metres away is the classic mistake — the daughter's foragers all return to the mother.

Step 6: the first seven days

Do not open either box. Watch the entrances only. The daughter will look sparse in the first week, which is expected. After about three weeks, steady pollen traffic means the new queen has emerged and is laying.

Frequently asked

What if the daughter has no queen?

If caught within a few weeks, transfer another piece of brood with a queen cell from a strong colony. Left too long, the daughter dwindles and is better merged back.

Can I split into three at once?

No. Dividing too finely leaves every part weak and vulnerable to ants. Split into two only.

When can the daughter be harvested?

Usually after a year, and only once it has filled its box. Do not expect a harvest in its first season.