# How far to take the bees after a split?



## dynemd

I've done a few splits and moved the new hive about 12 inches away, worked great too. Read Mr. Bush' directions here: http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm


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## drlonzo

There's really no need to move the hives so far away when doing a split. Really you should understand why it is that those directions are being given by the elders of the hobby to begin with.

When doing a split, you're taking X amount of brood/bees from a hive and stuffing them into another with the hopes of them either taking up with a new queen that you give them, or to get them to make their own queen. This is part of making increase in your apiary. Under normal conditions a person does this and you get both young/old bees when you move those frames. Some of which have already become foragers and oriented to the OLD hive. Those that have oriented will fly home after a split unless you give them reason to think they need to reorient. That's where moving them 2 miles down the road comes into play. When they come out, they see the sun in a diff position and automatically reorient to the new location. However, the same thing can be achieved to a great purpose by stuffing grass in the opening of the split, or setting a bush with many leaves up against the opening. It gives them reason to think that there is something diff about the hive and they reorient to the new location. 

There are other methods that can be used as well when doing an even split that works great too, without the need to take the hive anywhere.

I do splits all the time here in my apiary and don't take them anywhere but 50ft or so away. Some closer than that. Read up on the reasoning behind certain practices in beekeeping before accepting that it is a certain way only.


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## kbar1973

I never move mine. Just make a good strong split and obstruct their entrance. I have not had a problem yet.


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## sqkcrk

Move the parent colony. Leave the split where the parent colony was. And move it back behind where it had been. The field force will go into the part not moved.


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## Mr.Beeman

sqkcrk said:


> Move the parent colony. Leave the split where the parent colony was. And move it back behind where it had been. The field force will go into the part not moved.


I make my splits the same way. Works well.


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## Ravenseye

I rarely move mine more than a few feet. Since I know that some bees will make their way back to the original hive I shake a few more bees in when I split. Typically, it works out just fine.


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## Kiddkop

Furthering the statement made by drlonzo: I have much less experience than most here, but I have found merely turning the old hive and new split a different direction resolves the whole 2 mile myth.

Example, if the hive is facing south...direct it with the opening facing east. Close it up overnight and open it up a few hours into the next day. The bees will reorient as if they are in a totally new location.


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## Tenbears

It depends on ones philosophy, what people say about the two mile rule for as long as I have been beekeeping (47 years) applies to moving a hive, The reason for it is at times when a hive is moved to closely to where it originally was the bees would return to the old location and pile up where the hive was. Changing the way the hive was facing, or stuffing grass in the hive entrance is not 100% effective, it helps! But the bees that have been traveling to the same area have it engrained in their memories, when returning the see familiar landmarks, which light up their habitual memory causing them to return to the old hive location. Only when the arrive at the old location and there is no hive do some of the bees activate their total recall to remember the new location. For what it is worth I have never moved splits unless that out yard was their intended permanent location. 

In the case of the split, there is a hive at the old location so foragers return home. leaving the split with a diminished foraging crew. However every day bees age out of the nurse bee phase and into the foraging phase. So if the split has an abundance of bees and is being fed the new foragers will return to the present location. and the loss will not effect the hive.

By moving the split over 2 miles away (the average forage range) the beekeeper is insuring all the foragers have no option but to return to the split. 

Now if the split is placed beside the Parent hive there will be drifting between the two hives because of chemical familiarity shared by the two hives. thus a closer balance is Maintained. 
In my humble opinion it really matters not which method you use as long as you understand the possible outcomes, and act accordingly.


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## burns375

I prefer to move my splits and mating nucs atleat 2 miles, actual distance is about 8 miles to ohio river. Its not worth loosing a bunch of flying bees when I break out nucs for grafted queen cells. More or less peace of mind.

But with that said, its not mandoatory, just need to compensate appropriately.


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## Ravenseye

Tenbears said:


> It depends on ones philosophy, what people say about the two mile rule for as long as I have been beekeeping (47 years) applies to moving a hive, The reason for it is at times when a hive is moved to closely to where it originally was the bees would return to the old location and pile up where the hive was. Changing the way the hive was facing, or stuffing grass in the hive entrance is not 100% effective, it helps! But the bees that have been traveling to the same area have it engrained in their memories, when returning the see familiar landmarks, which light up their habitual memory causing them to return to the old hive location. Only when the arrive at the old location and there is no hive do some of the bees activate their total recall to remember the new location. For what it is worth I have never moved splits unless that out yard was their intended permanent location.
> 
> In the case of the split, there is a hive at the old location so foragers return home. leaving the split with a diminished foraging crew. However every day bees age out of the nurse bee phase and into the foraging phase. So if the split has an abundance of bees and is being fed the new foragers will return to the present location. and the loss will not effect the hive.
> 
> By moving the split over 2 miles away (the average forage range) the beekeeper is insuring all the foragers have no option but to return to the split.
> 
> Now if the split is placed beside the Parent hive there will be drifting between the two hives because of chemical familiarity shared by the two hives. thus a closer balance is Maintained.
> In my humble opinion it really matters not which method you use as long as you understand the possible outcomes, and act accordingly.


Good advice here!


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## Wild Honey

Thanks everyone for your replies. Since we own the property 1.2 miles away, I feel it would be best to take the split to that location, introduce a new queen, and build the colony up. I will either leave the hive there permanently, or move it back to our bee yard. If I move it back, I will most likely wait until the winter months. Again, thanks for everyone's comments.


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## Michael Bush

>... it really matters not which method you use as long as you understand the possible outcomes, and act accordingly.

Exactly. In 41 years of beekeeping I've never taken a split to a different location. By the time I had a yard I could take them to, I had already been doing it 26 years in the same yard and I could not see that it was worth the effort.


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