For orientation, this dossier is published in two parts. The table below summarises the content of each part.

Part 1	Part 2
1. Overview of the main methods 2. Why make increase with young colonies? 3. Which method to choose? 4. Decisions to clarify before acting 5. Common rules for all methods 6. The methods in detail 6.1 Natural swarm 6.2 Artificial swarm 6.3 Queenright shook swarm 6.4 Brood split 6.5 Combined brood nucleus	6.6 Flight nucleus 6.7 Nurse-bee attraction nucleus 6.8 Queenright split 6.9 Split of a colony in swarming mood 6.10 Nucleus made with super bees 6.11 Small reserve nucleus 7. Follow-up of young colonies after their formation 8. What to do with the young colonies?

1. Overview of the main methods

The methods used to form young colonies can be grouped into a few broad families. Some rely on the natural swarming behaviour. Others start from a group of bees without brood, such as the artificial swarm. Others use brood frames, with or without the queen. Others again exploit the homing behaviour of foragers or the dynamics of a colony in swarming mood.

The table below provides an overview. It does not replace the detailed procedure for each method, but it helps in choosing the technique best suited to the situation at the apiary.

Method	Principle	Queen	Brood	Points to watch
Natural swarm	Collect a swarm that has issued naturally from a colony.	Queen present, except in particular cases.	No brood at the start.	Rehouse, feed and follow up promptly. Do not encourage the uncontrolled multiplication of overly swarm-prone colonies.
Artificial swarm	Form a new unit with shaken or brushed-off bees, a queen in an introduction cage and recent frames or foundation.	Queen introduced, mated or unmated depending on the method.	No brood at the start.	Good queen acceptance, immediate feeding, prompt inspection, favourable window for the varroa management concept.
Queenright shook swarm	Take the queen from the colony with a sufficient quantity of bees to form a new colony.	Queen present from the start.	Ideally without brood, or very little depending on the variant.	A useful method to create a clean break, but it requires good management of the parent colony.
Brood split	Take brood frames with the bees covering them, add food frames and form a nucleus box.	Queen to be reared by the colony or queen introduced.	Yes, often open brood and capped brood.	Avoid accidentally transferring the parent colony's queen, provide enough bees and food, check for a laying queen at the right time.
Combined brood nucleus	Combine brood frames from several colonies to form a stronger young colony.	Queen to be reared or queen introduced.	Yes.	Use only healthy colonies, avoid spreading sanitary problems, balance brood, bees and food stores.
Flight nucleus	Move the parent colony and place a new unit on the original site to gather the foragers.	Queen to be reared or queen cell introduced depending on the variant.	Yes, brood frames introduced into the new unit.	Form the unit when the foragers are out, avoid weakening the parent colony excessively, monitor food stores.
Nurse-bee attraction nucleus	Place brood frames without bees above a strong colony, separated by a queen excluder, so that nurse bees move up to cover them.	Queen absent from the chosen frames; queen to be reared or introduced afterwards.	Yes.	An interesting method when frames well covered with young bees are wanted without searching for the queen, but it requires a two-step procedure.
Queenright split	Form a new colony with the queen, brood frames, bees and food stores.	Queen of the parent colony.	Yes.	A useful method in case of swarming mood, but the parent colony becomes queenless and must be carefully followed up.
Split of a colony in swarming mood	Use the swarming dynamics, the queen cells or the separation of the colony's components to prevent a swarm from leaving.	Depending on the variant: old queen kept in one part, queen cells in the other.	Yes.	Do not multiply overly swarm-prone lineages without discernment, choose the cells carefully, avoid rough handling of queen cells.
Nucleus made with super bees	Use the bees present in the supers to populate a nucleus box prepared with food, pollen, foundation and an introduced queen.	Selected queen introduced.	Generally without brood, except in a particular variant.	An interesting method at harvest time, but it requires an available queen, enough bees and careful feeding.
Small reserve nucleus	Form a small unit intended mainly to serve as a queen reserve or backup colony.	Queen to be reared, queen cell or queen introduced.	Often yes, but in small quantity.	Do not undersize the population, adjust the volume, avoid units that are too weak at the end of the season.

These methods are not equivalent. Some are simple but slow, others fast but more demanding. Some require finding the queen, others avoid it. Some require an outapiary, others can be carried out at the same site. The right choice therefore depends less on theoretical preference than on the actual situation: colony strength, season, weather, available equipment, breeding objective and varroa management.

The order of presentation adopted here deliberately starts with the natural swarm. It constitutes the biological reference model: a colony divides, one part leaves without brood and rebuilds elsewhere. Artificial swarms and several split methods are inspired by this logic, but make it more controllable for the beekeeper.

In the following chapters, each method is presented according to the same logic: its principle, the situations in which it is indicated, its practical procedure, the necessary inspections, its link with the varroa management concept and the main points to watch.

2. Why make increase with young colonies?

This chapter summarises why making increase with young colonies is a central tool for renewal, selection, reserves and sanitary management of the apiary.

• Making increase with young colonies is not just a way to expand the number of hives: it is a means of renewing the stock, having reserves available and reducing swarming pressure.
• A well-managed young colony can become a vigorous production colony the following year, provided it has a good queen, enough young bees, sufficient food stores, recent comb and a good sanitary state.
• Making increase with young colonies is also a selection tool: weak, aggressive, poorly productive, overly swarm-prone colonies, or colonies with recurring sanitary problems should not serve as the basis for multiplication.
• From a renewal perspective, ApiService recommends aiming for an average number of young colonies corresponding to about 50 % of the number of production colonies. For 10 production colonies, this corresponds to 5 young colonies, with a possible additional margin depending on expected losses, desired selection and apiary possibilities.
• Depending on the chosen method, making increase can also fit into the varroa management concept: brood break, removal of capped brood or broodless period. These effects remain useful, but never replace varroa monitoring or the recommended treatments.
• The most favourable period generally lies between May and June, sometimes until July depending on region, altitude, weather, colony strength and the presence of mature drones.
• The further the season progresses, the smaller the margin: young colonies have less time to develop, build, build up their food stores and prepare for overwintering.
• Before choosing a method, it is necessary to clarify the origin of the queen, whether or not brood is present, the possibility of moving the nucleus box and the moment when the young colony can be integrated into the varroa monitoring.

3. Which method to choose?

This chapter offers a decision aid for choosing the most coherent method according to the objective, the season, colony strength, the available queen and the varroa monitoring.

There is no universal method for forming a young colony. The right choice depends on the season, on colony strength, on the availability of a queen, on the presence of brood, on the possibility of moving the nucleus boxes and on integration into the varroa management concept.

Situation at the apiary	Particularly suitable methods	Point to watch
I have a mated queen and want to form a young colony quickly.	Artificial swarm, nucleus made with super bees, brood split with introduced queen.	Carefully prepare queen acceptance and avoid an overly rapid release.
I want to form a young colony without brood.	Natural swarm, artificial swarm, queenright shook swarm, nucleus made with super bees.	Feed correctly and use the broodless window in the varroa management concept, without improvising the treatment.
I have strong colonies with plenty of brood.	Brood split, combined brood nucleus, nurse-bee attraction nucleus.	Take only from strong and healthy colonies, without transferring the queen by mistake.
I want to avoid weakening a single colony heavily.	Combined brood nucleus, nurse-bee attraction nucleus.	Combine brood only from sanitarily impeccable colonies.
I have no outapiary to which to move nucleus boxes.	Flight nucleus, certain queenright splits.	Take the return of foragers into account and balance the two units.
A strong colony is entering swarming mood.	Queenright split, split of a colony in swarming mood, flight nucleus.	Do not automatically multiply lineages that are overly swarm-prone or mediocre.
I want to have a queen reserve.	Small reserve nucleus, young colony with brood, nucleus with queen cell or introduced queen.	Verify the presence of a laying queen before considering the reserve as reliable.
I am collecting a natural swarm.	Natural swarm.	Rehouse promptly, feed if needed, check the laying and integrate the swarm into the varroa monitoring.
The season is already well advanced.	Methods with a mated queen, sufficiently strong units, reinforcement or uniting rather than late small splits.	Avoid lengthy methods if the colony no longer has time to develop before overwintering.

The right choice is the one that produces a viable, useful and properly followed-up young colony. Forming an additional colony is only worthwhile if it actually improves the stability of the apiary: better selection, available reserve, queen renewal, reduced losses and stronger colonies for the following season.

4. Decisions to clarify before acting

This chapter summarises the decisions to be made before forming a young colony: origin of the queen, presence of brood, possibility of moving, biological calendar and integration into the varroa management concept.

Before choosing a method, a few simple points must be clarified. They determine the speed of development, the risk of failure, the starting strength and the follow-up needed after formation.

• Origin of the queen. The young colony can rear its own queen from eggs or very young larvae, receive a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen. A mated queen speeds up the start, but its introduction must be carefully prepared.
• Presence or absence of brood. Methods with brood provide a population base, but they can also transfer varroa mites present in capped brood. Methods without brood resemble the restart of a swarm and can offer an interesting window in the varroa management concept.
• Possibility of moving the nucleus box. If the young colony stays at the same apiary, some of the foragers may return to the original location. Some methods, such as the flight nucleus, exploit this behaviour; others, on the contrary, require a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary.
• Biological calendar. A colony rearing its own queen takes more time: queen rearing, emergence, mating, start of laying, then emergence of the first workers. The further the season advances, the riskier lengthy methods become.
• Starting strength. A young colony must be populous enough to cover the brood, maintain warmth, build comb, defend its entrance and use feeding correctly. A unit that is too weak often requires more care than it provides safety.
• Varroa window. A broodless period, a brood break or the emergence of the initial brood can create a useful window. Any treatment must never be improvised: it depends on the actual state of the brood, on the recommendations in force and on the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

An appropriate method is therefore one that matches the actual situation at the apiary. The aim is not to multiply as much as possible, but to form young colonies that are viable, balanced, well fed, properly followed up and useful for renewing the stock.

5. Common rules for all methods

This chapter presents the basic rules that determine the success of all methods: selection, period, strength of the unit, food, volume, varroa and intended future use.

1. Start from sound foundations. A young colony must have a sufficient population, a queen or a realistic possibility of obtaining one, suitable food stores, a proportionate volume and a good sanitary state.
2. Multiply only colonies that are worth it. Weak, aggressive, overly swarm-prone, irregular colonies, or those with recurring sanitary problems, should not serve as a basis for multiplication. Eggs, very young larvae, queen cells or queens must come from genuinely interesting colonies.
3. Respect the favourable period. The months of May and June are often the most appropriate, with adjustments depending on region, altitude, weather and the actual development of the colonies. Forming too early may fail due to a lack of mature drones; forming too late leaves little time before overwintering.
4. Form a sufficiently strong unit. A young colony that is too weak struggles to keep the brood warm, to build comb, to defend its entrance and to build up its food stores. The brood frames must be well covered with bees.
5. Avoid the unintentional transfer of the queen. When frames are taken from a parent colony, it must be checked that the queen is not transferred by mistake, unless the method explicitly provides for forming a unit with her.
6. Adjust the volume of the nucleus box. A nucleus box that is too large slows development and makes it harder to maintain warmth. A constrained unit develops more easily, provided it is enlarged gradually as the population increases.
7. Ensure food and pollen. A young colony must never run out of food. Food frames, a pollen frame when available and appropriate feeding support the start, especially if the young colony has few foragers.
8. Prevent robbing. Feeding must remain clean and discreet: avoid syrup spillages, reduce the entrance if needed and intervene rather in the evening when the risk of robbing is high.
9. Limit unnecessary handling. Young colonies in formation are sensitive to disturbance. Queen cells must be handled with care, and the inspection schedule must respect the chosen method: a mated queen can be checked sooner than a queen reared by the colony.
10. Integrate the method into the varroa management concept. Methods with brood can remove some of the capped brood from the parent colony; methods without brood create a window during which varroa mites are not protected inside capped cells. This can be useful, but it never replaces varroa monitoring or the recommended treatments.
11. Do not aim for honey production in the same year. The main objective is to develop a viable colony: queen accepted or reared, drawn comb, food stores built up, good sanitary state and proper preparation for overwintering.

6. The methods in detail

6.1 Natural swarm

This chapter presents the natural swarm as the biological model of colony multiplication, while recalling its limits for a controlled management of the apiary.

The natural swarm is the spontaneous form of colony multiplication. When collected in time and properly rehoused, it can become a vigorous young colony, able to build quickly on recent comb or foundation.

This resource must, however, be used with discernment. Natural swarming can lead to production losses, bee losses, swarms that are difficult to retrieve, and the unintentional multiplication of overly swarm-prone lineages. A natural swarm is therefore a possible opportunity, but it does not replace the controlled management of swarming.

In which situations should a natural swarm be used?

A natural swarm is interesting if it comes from a healthy, vigorous colony worth keeping. Once rehoused, it forms a unit without brood at the start, highly motivated to build and to start over.

However, not all swarms are equivalent. A swarm of unknown origin, or coming from an overly swarm-prone, aggressive, weak or mediocre colony, should not be used without reflection as a basis for multiplication. In that case, a later requeening may be preferable.

Principle of the method

The principle is to capture the swarm, place it temporarily in a swarm box, then install it in a clean hive or nucleus box, with foundation or recent frames. The volume must be adapted to the strength of the swarm.

The swarm must then be followed up like any young colony: check for the presence of a laying queen, monitor food stores, feed if necessary and integrate it into the varroa management concept.

Procedure

• Locate the swarm and assess whether it can be captured without danger to the beekeeper, the bees and the people around.
• Prepare a clean, well-ventilated swarm box that can be closed.
• Lightly mist the cluster with water if necessary, to calm the bees and limit them taking flight.
• Shake or brush the cluster into the swarm box, with calm and precise movements.
• Place the swarm box nearby, if possible in the shade, with an opening allowing bees still in flight to rejoin the cluster.
• Wait for the bees to gather. If they remain grouped in the box, it generally indicates that the queen is inside.
• Close the swarm box in the evening, once the bees are inside.
• Keep the swarm one or two nights in a dark, cool and quiet place if this step is necessary for the chosen procedure.
• Rehouse the swarm in a hive or nucleus box prepared with foundation or recent frames.
• Reduce the entrance at the start, especially if the swarm is small or if the risk of robbing is high.
• Feed if necessary, particularly if the nectar flow is poor or if the swarm has many frames to build.

Rehousing and feeding

Rehousing is done in a clean hive proportioned to the size of the swarm. A volume that is too large slows the start and complicates the defence of the entrance. A small swarm must therefore be installed in a constrained volume, then enlarged gradually.

Feeding must support comb building without triggering robbing. If a supply is needed, it must be clean, suitable and given discreetly, especially during a dearth.

Inspections after installation

The first inspection should be brief: check that the swarm has remained in the hive, that the bees are building, that food stores are sufficient and that the colony appears calm.

The decisive inspection is to check for a laying queen. A primary swarm with a mated queen can resume laying quickly. A cast swarm with a virgin queen requires more time, since the queen still has to make her mating flight.

If no laying appears after a reasonable delay, the situation must be assessed: queenless swarm, unmated queen, queen lost or weather-related delay. Depending on the case, a queen introduction, uniting with another colony or another suitable measure may be needed.

Link with the varroa management concept

A natural swarm is broodless at the moment of capture: the varroa mites present are therefore on the adult bees. This situation can offer a useful window before the capping of the first brood, but the swarm must be integrated into the varroa monitoring like any other colony. Any treatment depends on the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and on the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Never take risks when capturing a swarm that is hard to reach.
• Do not encourage the multiplication of overly swarm-prone colonies or colonies of mediocre quality.
• Treat swarms of unknown origin with caution: they may pose sanitary risks. If possible, install them first at an isolated location, under observation, before integrating them into the main apiary.
• Rehouse the swarm in a volume suited to its strength.
• Provide recent frames or foundation to favour a good restart.
• Feed only if necessary, cleanly and without triggering robbing.
• Reduce the entrance at the start, especially for small swarms.
• Check for a laying queen before considering the colony stable.
• Integrate the swarm into the varroa management concept from installation.

The natural swarm can be a good opportunity to form a young colony, especially when it is collected promptly, rehoused cleanly and followed up with rigour. Its main interest is the restart on recent comb and the strong building drive. Its main limitation is the lack of control: genetic origin, swarming tendency, age and condition of the queen are not always known.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.6 Swarm
• The Mechanisms of Natural Swarming

6.2 Artificial swarm

This chapter describes the artificial swarm as a controlled method for forming a young colony without brood, with an introduced queen and a restart on recent comb.

The artificial swarm consists in forming a new colony with bees taken from one or several colonies, then installing them on foundation or recent frames, with a queen introduced in a queen introduction cage. Like a natural swarm, it restarts without brood: it must build, organise itself, accept its queen and be fed correctly.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

This method is particularly interesting when strong colonies and a mated queen, or a young queen to introduce, are available. It allows a clean unit to be formed, broodless at the start, to renew the comb and to create a favourable window in the varroa management concept.

It does, however, require good coordination: a queen available at the right moment, a sufficient quantity of bees, immediate feeding and careful queen introduction. An artificial swarm that is too weak or poorly fed starts with difficulty.

Equipment and preparation

Prepare a clean swarm box or nucleus box, foundation or recent frames, a queen introduction cage, a selected queen or one from a chosen colony, and a suitable feeding syrup.

The bees can come from a single strong colony or from several healthy colonies. In every case, take care not to accidentally take a queen that should not enter the artificial swarm.

Procedure

• Prepare the nucleus box or swarm box with foundation or recent frames.
• Place the queen in a queen introduction cage in the new unit, according to the chosen introduction method.
• Take a sufficient quantity of bees from one or several strong colonies, without transferring a queen by mistake. Depending on the season and the format, the artificial swarm must be populous enough to cover the frames quickly.
• Brush or shake the bees into the swarm box or directly into the prepared nucleus box.
• Provide a feeding syrup immediately, since the bees of an artificial swarm have not necessarily filled their honey stomach as during a natural swarm.
• Place the artificial swarm in a dark, cool and quiet place for one or two nights, or according to the chosen procedure, until a homogeneous cluster forms around the queen introduction cage.
• Then install the young colony, ideally at a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, and let the bees orient themselves.
• Maintain a regular and suitable feeding until the colony builds correctly and the queen is accepted.

Inspections after formation

The first inspection should be brief. It serves to check the acceptance of the queen, the strength of the young colony and the availability of feed, without unnecessarily disturbing the organisation phase.

If the queen is mated, laying can begin quickly after acceptance. In case of non-acceptance, action must be taken without delay, since a unit without brood and without queen cannot recover on its own.

Link with the varroa management concept

The artificial swarm starts without brood. The varroa mites present are therefore not protected in capped cells, which can create a favourable window before the capping of the first brood. This possibility must not be applied as an automatic recipe: the timing, the product and the method of treatment must comply with the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Form the artificial swarm only with bees from strong, healthy and well-developed colonies.
• Avoid creating a unit that is too weak: it will build poorly, will have more difficulty accepting the queen, and will be more sensitive to chilling, robbing and feeding stress.
• Do not introduce the queen directly without precaution if the conditions for acceptance are not met.
• Feed immediately and regularly, without triggering robbing.
• Reduce the entrance if needed, especially while the colony is still small.
• Do not consider the artificial swarm as a production colony for the current year: its main objective is to build, accept the queen, develop and enter overwintering correctly.

Properly managed, the artificial swarm is a clean, flexible method that is very useful for renewing the stock. Its main interest lies in the combination of three effects: introduction of a chosen queen, restart on recent comb, and the possibility of integrating the young colony into a coherent varroa strategy from its formation.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.2 Artificial swarm
• Shook swarm

6.3 Queenright shook swarm

This chapter describes the queenright shook swarm, which consists in taking the queen with bees to create a unit without brood and to induce a brood break in the parent colony.

The queenright shook swarm consists in forming a new colony with the queen of an existing colony and a sufficient quantity of bees. Unlike a simple split with brood, this method aims to create a unit close to a natural swarm: the queen is present from the start, but the new colony ideally restarts on recent frames or foundation, without capped brood.

This method can be useful for renewing comb, slowing a very dynamic colony, creating a clean break in the brood cycle and integrating the new unit into the varroa management concept. It does, however, require good mastery, since the parent colony is left queenless and must be managed correctly after the intervention.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

The queenright shook swarm is particularly indicated when a young colony with a queen already laying is to be formed quickly, while at the same time inducing a brood break. It can also be used as a management measure in a very strong colony, to reduce swarming pressure without waiting for a natural swarm to leave.

The method is suitable above all if the queen of the parent colony is worth keeping: a gentle, healthy, regular, productive colony that is well adapted to the apiary. It is not recommended if the colony is aggressive, overly swarm-prone, weak or has recurring sanitary problems.

Principle of the method

The queen is removed from the parent colony with a sufficient quantity of bees. This new unit is installed in a clean nucleus box or hive, on recent frames or foundation, then fed to support comb building. The parent colony, now queenless, rears a new queen or receives a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen.

The central point is the separation of functions: the new unit keeps the queen and restarts like a swarm, while the parent colony must be followed up until a laying queen returns. This follow-up is essential, because a poorly managed queenless colony can lose much time or become problematic.

Procedure

• Choose a strong, healthy, well-developed colony whose queen is worth keeping.
• Prepare a clean nucleus box or hive with foundation or recent frames.
• Find the queen and place her carefully in the new unit.
• Add a sufficient quantity of bees, ideally mainly young bees, so that the new colony can build, attend to the queen and maintain good cohesion.
• Avoid taking capped brood if the goal is to create a real broodless period in the new unit.
• Close the new unit and, depending on the situation, place it at a nucleus apiary or briefly hold it in a dark, cool place before installation.
• Feed immediately with a suitable feeding syrup to support comb building and the resumption of laying.
• Reduce the entrance if the young colony is still weak or if conditions favour robbing.

What to do with the parent colony?

The parent colony must not be forgotten. After the queen is removed, it becomes queenless. It can rear a new queen itself if it has eggs or very young larvae, but this solution takes time and depends on the mating weather and on the presence of mature drones.

Depending on the objective, a queen cell, a virgin queen or a mated queen can also be introduced. This decision strongly influences the time before laying resumes. In every case, the parent colony must be inspected at the right time to verify the presence of a laying queen and to avoid leaving an uncontrolled queenless situation to develop.

Inspections after formation

In the new unit with the queen, the first inspection must verify that the queen is present, that the colony remains sufficiently populous, that the bees are building and that food stores are sufficient. Frequent inspections during the reorganisation phase should be avoided.

In the parent colony, the schedule depends on the chosen solution. If the colony rears its own queen, time must be allowed for queen rearing, emergence, the mating flight and the start of laying. An overly early inspection may unnecessarily disturb the colony or lead to a premature conclusion of failure.

Link with the varroa management concept

If the new unit is formed without brood, it can offer an interesting window before the capping of the first brood. The parent colony also undergoes a brood break, which can be useful in the varroa management concept once the initial brood has emerged. In both cases, any intervention depends on the actual state of the brood, on the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and on the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Choose this method only if the queen and the parent colony have qualities one wishes to preserve.
• Take care to form a sufficiently populous new unit: a queen alone with too few bees cannot restart correctly.
• Do not confuse this method with a simple brood split: the main interest lies in the brood break and the restart on recent comb.
• Follow the parent colony attentively, since it becomes queenless after the queen is removed.
• Do not automatically multiply colonies in swarming mood if their swarming tendency is excessive.
• Feed cleanly and adjust the entrance to limit the risk of robbing.

Properly managed, this method allows a young colony with an already functional queen to be formed quickly, while giving the parent colony the opportunity to renew its queen. Its interest is mainly strategic: it combines renewal, swarm management, brood break and possible integration into a coherent varroa management.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.3 Queenright shook swarm
• Varroa: The brood break

6.4 Brood split

This chapter presents a classic method consisting in creating a nucleus box with brood frames, bees, food stores and a queen to be reared or introduced.

The brood split consists in taking from one or several strong colonies brood frames well covered with bees, completing them with food frames and installing them in a nucleus box. The new unit can then rear its own queen or receive a queen, a queen cell or a virgin queen.

This method is flexible and well suited to the routine management of the apiary. It allows viable young colonies to be formed, helps relieve strong colonies and, depending on the situation, can reduce some of the pressure related to swarming or varroa.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

This method is suitable when the production colonies are strong enough to provide brood and bees without becoming too weak. It is particularly indicated in spring and early summer, when the colonies have plenty of brood, young bees and food stores.

It is useful for forming a colony able to develop progressively, without having to shake a large quantity of bees as for an artificial swarm. It also allows work to start from good parent colonies, thus strengthening selection at the apiary.

Principle of the method

The nucleus box receives several brood frames, ideally with capped brood, open brood, eggs or very young larvae, as well as the bees covering them. Eggs or very young larvae are essential if the young colony is to rear its own queen.

Food frames are added at the sides. The nucleus box must be populous enough to cover the brood, maintain warmth and defend itself, but its volume must remain proportionate to its strength.

Procedure

• Choose one or several strong, healthy, calm and well-developed colonies.
• Prepare a clean nucleus box, suited to the expected strength of the young colony.
• Take 2 to 5 brood frames well covered with bees, depending on the strength of the parent colony and the goal of the young colony.
• Make sure that at least one frame contains eggs or very young larvae if the young colony is to rear its own queen.
• Carefully check that the queen of the parent colony is not transferred by mistake, unless the method explicitly provides for forming a unit with the queen.
• Place the brood frames at the centre of the nucleus box and add food frames at the sides.
• If needed, add the bees of an additional frame so that the brood is well covered.
• Fill the remaining space with a dummy board, recent drawn comb or foundation, depending on the strength of the unit.
• Move the nucleus box on the same day to a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, or choose a suitable variant if it stays at the same apiary.
• Reduce the entrance if the colony is small or if conditions favour robbing.
• Provide suitable feeding, especially in the absence of nectar flow or after moving.

With or without queen introduction?

If the young colony rears its own queen, it must have eggs or very young larvae. This solution is simple, but it takes time: queen rearing, emergence, mating, start of laying, then emergence of the first workers.

Introducing a mated queen speeds up development, but requires a well-prepared colony: queenless, sufficiently populous, well fed and made up as much as possible of young bees. A queen cell or a virgin queen represents an intermediate solution, but remains dependent on the weather and on the success of mating.

Inspections after formation

The first inspection should be brief. If the young colony rears its own queen, the presence of queen cells can be checked after a few days, but without shaking, chilling or damaging them.

When several queen cells are present, the beekeeper may decide to keep only one or two well-placed and well-developed cells, in order to limit the risk of a cast swarm.

The decisive inspection comes later: it consists in verifying the presence of a laying queen. One should not conclude failure too early, as the weather can delay mating. By contrast, a young colony lastingly without laying must be corrected promptly.

Link with the varroa management concept

A young colony with brood may carry some of the varroa mites present in the parent colonies, especially with the capped brood. If it rears its own queen, a window can appear once the initial brood has emerged and before the new brood is largely capped. Any intervention must be decided according to the actual state of the brood, the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used.

Points to watch

• Do not form a young colony with brood from a weak, sick or doubtful colony.
• Do not take too much brood from a production colony that does not have the strength to support it.
• Carefully check that the queen of the parent colony is not transferred by mistake.
• Ensure enough bees to cover the brood, especially after the possible return of foragers to their original location.
• Adjust the volume of the nucleus box to the actual population.
• Maintain a sufficient food reserve, without triggering robbing.
• Do not unnecessarily disturb queen cells or the young queen during sensitive phases.
• Verify the presence of a laying queen before considering the formation a success.

Properly managed, the brood split is a robust and versatile method. Its success rests on three simple conditions: start from good colonies, form a sufficiently strong unit and properly follow up the queen, the food and varroa throughout the start-up phase.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.4 Young colonies with brood
• Creation of young colonies (nuclei)

6.5 Combined brood nucleus

This chapter presents the combined brood nucleus, a method that gathers brood from several colonies to form a strong young colony without weakening any single hive.

The combined brood nucleus is a variant of the brood split. It consists in gathering, in a single nucleus box, brood frames from several parent colonies. This method allows a sufficiently strong young colony to be formed while spreading the withdrawal across several production colonies.

Its main interest lies in balance: no parent colony is too heavily weakened, but the young colony receives enough brood, bees and food stores to start well. Its main limitation is sanitary: gathering brood from several colonies can also gather problems if the parent colonies are not impeccable.

In which situations should this method be chosen?

This method is suitable when several strong colonies have a surplus of brood and bees but heavy withdrawal from a single hive is to be avoided. It is particularly indicated in spring and early summer, when the parent colonies are well developed.

It can also be useful in swarm prevention or in integrated varroa management, provided that brood is taken only from strong, healthy, calm and regular colonies. It must not be used to make use of brood from weak, doubtful or mediocre colonies.

Principle of the method

The nucleus box is composed with capped brood, open brood, bees and food stores from several selected colonies. The capped brood quickly provides new bees, while open brood and eggs allow a queen to be reared if no queen is introduced.

If the young colony is to rear its own queen, at least one frame must contain eggs or very young larvae from a colony chosen for its qualities. If a mated queen, a virgin queen or a queen cell is introduced, the composition of the nucleus can be adjusted accordingly.

Procedure

• Prepare a clean nucleus box, suited to the expected strength of the nucleus.
• Choose several strong, healthy, calm and well-developed parent colonies.
• Take from each colony one or more brood frames well covered with bees, depending on the strength of the colonies and the goal of the nucleus.
• Carefully check that the queen of each parent colony is not transferred by mistake.
• Compose the nucleus box with capped brood, open brood and, if necessary, a frame containing eggs or very young larvae.
• Add food frames in sufficient quantity, particularly if weather or nectar flow are uncertain.
• Complete with a dummy board, recent drawn comb or foundation depending on the strength of the unit.
• If a queen or a queen cell is to be introduced, prepare the young colony according to the planned introduction method.
• Move the nucleus box to a sufficiently distant nucleus apiary, or plan a suitable management if it stays at the same apiary.
• Reduce the entrance if the colony is still weak or if conditions favour robbing.
• Feed if necessary, regularly and without triggering robbing.

With emergency rearing or with an introduced queen?

If the nucleus rears its own queen, it must have eggs or very young larvae. This option is simple, but it takes time and depends on the weather, on the presence of mature drones and on the success of the mating flight. The frame containing the eggs must therefore come from a colony one actually wants to multiply.

Introducing a mated queen speeds up development, but requires a well-prepared colony: queenless, sufficiently populous, well fed and made up as much as possible of young bees. A queen cell or a virgin queen represents an intermediate solution, but remains dependent on mating.

Inspections after formation

The first inspection should be limited. It serves to check that the nucleus has enough bees, that food stores are sufficient and that the unit remains calm and coherent. If the nucleus rears its own queen, the queen cells must be inspected only with caution.

The decisive inspection consists in verifying the presence of a laying queen. One should not conclude failure too early: the young queen must emerge, become mature, perform her mating flight and start laying. If no laying appears after the expected delay, the situation must be corrected promptly by introducing a queen, uniting or another suitable measure.

Link with the varroa management concept

The combined brood may also gather some of the varroa mites present in the parent colonies. If the nucleus rears its own queen, a window can appear after the emergence of the initial brood and before the capping of the new brood. This possibility must be integrated into the varroa management concept, without improvised treatment: the actual state of the brood, the BienenSchweiz/ApiService recommendations in force and the leaflet of the veterinary medicine used remain decisive.

Points to watch

• Combine brood only from strong, healthy and verified colonies.
• Do not use this method to make use of brood from weak, aggressive or doubtful colonies.
• Inspect each frame to avoid accidentally transferring a queen.
• Ensure that the brood is well covered with bees after the nucleus is formed.
• Provide enough food, especially if the young colony is moved or if the nectar flow is poor.
• Adjust the volume of the nucleus box to the actual population.
• Handle queen cells with care if the nucleus rears its own queen.
• Watch the risk of robbing, especially if the nucleus box is small or fed at the apiary.
• Follow varroa attentively, since the combined brood can also concentrate part of the infestation.

The combined brood nucleus is an effective method for forming a strong young colony without massive withdrawal from a single hive. It must, however, remain a tool of strict selection and sanitary management: only reliable parent colonies should contribute, and the young colony must be followed up as a unit in its own right.

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See also:

• Practical Guide: 1.4.4.1 Nucleus - Combined brood
• Creation of nuclei and queen rearing

See continuation: part 2

6.6 Flight nucleus
6.7 Nurse-bee attraction nucleus
6.8 Queenright split
6.9 Split of a colony in swarming mood
6.10 Nucleus made with super bees
6.11 Small reserve nucleus
7. Follow-up of young colonies after their formation