One technique that beekeepers often employ is performing splits, which involves creating new colonies from an existing one. In this blog post, we’ll delve into a specific method called “topping,” where open brood is strategically moved above a queen excluder to encourage nurse bees to join a nucleus colony. This method can help beekeepers effectively increase their colony numbers and manage their apiaries.

Materials Needed:

• Empty nuc box or standard box

• Queen excluder

Performing Topping Splits

Step 1: Inspection and Selection of Brood Frames 

Begin by carefully inspecting the bottom box of the parent colony. Look for frames with open brood, which are hatched eggs and larvae. These frames will play a crucial role in establishing the nucleus colony.

Step 2: Removing Brood Frames for the Nucleus Colony 

Gently remove frames of open brood from the parent colony. The goal is to have a mix of empty comb, open brood, honey, and foundation in the nuc box. This combination provides the essential resources needed for the new colony to thrive.

Step 3: Enhancing the Parent Colony 

To ensure that the parent colony continues to flourish, insert a frame of feed into the parent hive. This helps maintain its strength and vitality during the split.

Step 4: Applying the Topping Excluder 

Place a queen excluder on top of the parent colony. This specialized mesh allows worker bees to pass through while preventing the larger queen from moving upwards. The excluder serves as a barrier between the parent colony and the nucleus colony that will be established.

Step 5: Setting Up the Nucleus Colony 

Position the nuc box on top of the queen excluder. This positioning is key to the success of the topping method. Wait for at least a day to allow nurse bees from the parent colony to move up and join the nucleus colony.

Step 6: Completing the Setup 

Once the nurse bees have moved into the nuc box and started covering the open brood, complete the setup by adding a plastic inner cover, a vented screen cover for proper ventilation, and an outer cover to protect the colony from the elements.

Advantages of the Topping Method:

• Increased Nurse Bee Recruitment: The topping method capitalizes on the behavior of nurse bees, which are more likely to join a new colony with open brood than forage outside.

• Improved Nuc Development: By transferring open brood, honey, and other resources, the nucleus colony has a head start in building up its population and resources.

• Reduced Drifting: Since nurse bees are still in their orientation phase and haven’t developed strong foraging habits, they are less likely to drift back to the parent colony.

Conclusion: Performing splits is a valuable tool in a beekeeper’s toolkit, allowing for colony expansion and management. The topping method, as described in this blog post, offers an innovative approach to creating nucleus colonies by strategically utilizing the behavior of nurse bees. By following the steps outlined above and understanding the principles behind this technique, beekeepers can successfully perform queenless splits and promote the growth and health of their apiaries.