# splitting hives



## Kazzandra (Jul 7, 2010)

What exactly do you mean that you 'split hives' with a friend? Do you mean that you take some of her brood and she takes some of yours? Genitically speaking, if you remember, the queen you have mated on one mating flight with drones from who knows how many hives far away from both you and your friend. So if that's what you're doing, it doesn't affect your genetics long-term. You have two different sets of bees in your hives, but they all acknowledge the queen's pheromones. 

Now if you're talking about you taking one of her hives and s/he taking one of yours, then again, you're not doing much to change things genitically, because it all comes down to those DCA (Drone congregation areas) and the queen's mating flights. She isn't going to be mating with any of your drones, hopefully (that's the whole point of DCA-- to dissuade imbreeding), so whether you have drones that come from your friend or you, they won't be affecting your genetics much either way.


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## UTvolshype (Nov 26, 2012)

If just mutts what does that matter? Good bees that don't die, build up strong and don't swarm too much so looks like good genetics to me. I split a boomer today and moved about two miles up the road. Original queen is in the old location and will likely have queen cells in the next ten days so I'm likely splitting it again next week (hive body + 4 meds full of bees before I split today).


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