The Week After the Split: When Bees Ignore the Plan
A strong start, a near collapse, and one very questionable queen
If the last post was the plan…
This is what actually happened.
And if there’s one thing I’ve been reminded of this week, it’s this:
You can do everything “right” in beekeeping - and the bees will still make their own decisions.
A Quick Recap
Last week, I split one strong overwintered colony into three, installing two mated queens to speed up population growth.
The goal was simple:
Three balanced colonies
Fast buildup
Strong production going into the season
On paper, it was solid.
In reality… things got messy.
The Queen Who Wouldn’t Stay Put
The long hive was the first sign that things weren’t going according to plan.
By day 3 post-installation, the new Italian queen had been released - but she didn’t settle onto the frames like you’d expect.
She flew.
Repeatedly.
I’d spot her, try to get the hive inner-covers set up properly, and she’d take off again. At one point I had her contained in the outer cover, just trying to keep her from disappearing entirely while I got things back together.
It turned into a cycle:
open hive
queen flies
attempt recovery (fail)
queen returns on her own after I’ve given up all hope
repeat
At a certain point, you realize you’re not managing the situation - you’re reacting to it.
The Hive That Nearly Emptied Out
The other new split had a different issue.
When I checked it, there were almost no bees left in the box… and the queen was still in her cage.
That’s about as fragile as it gets.
To stabilize it, I:
shook in a frame of nurse bees
closed the hive for a couple of hours
reduced the entrance down to one-bee space
That combination helped more than I expected. By evening, things looked calmer and at least somewhat viable.
After three more days, I opened the queen cage so she could be released when the bees were ready.
At that point, the goal wasn’t growth - it was survival.
Early Warning Signs
One of the things I mentioned watching in the original plan was syrup consumption.
Both new colonies showed weak uptake early on.
That’s one of those subtle signals that’s easy to overlook - but it usually means something isn’t right.
Low population, queen issues, or general instability can all show up as “they’re just not taking syrup.”
Looking back, that was the first real clue that things were off.
Fast Forward to May 2
(10 days post-installation)
Here’s where everything currently stands.
New 8-frame colony
Queen present
Very low population (less than two partial frames of bees)
No eggs spotted yet
Hard to evaluate due to low numbers
This one is in a holding pattern. It could go either way.
I’ll continue feeding 1:1 syrup - if they’ll take it.
Original colony
This one recovered fast.
Packed with bees
Active and healthy
Not resource bound
Their temperament is more spicy (it’s no wonder with all the recent apiary drama)
This is exactly why the original colony is left strong during splits - it gives you something stable to fall back on.
The Long Hive… Plot Twist
I was ready to call the long hive a complete loss.
Low population.
No brood.
Syrup untouched.
I shifted into salvage mode - pulling usable comb and reallocating resources.
And then I found the queen again.
Alive…and…piping…?
What Queen Piping Means (And Why It’s Concerning)
Queen piping is a distinct, high-pitched chirping sound - and it’s not something you typically expect from a settled, mated queen.
It’s more commonly associated with:
virgin queens
queens signaling to rivals
general colony instability
So hearing it from a purchased, “mated” queen that’s been in her hive for a while?
That raises some questions.
Possibilities include:
she may not be properly mated
she never established herself in the colony
the colony never fully accepted her
None of those are ideal.
Why I Didn’t Intervene Further
At that point, I had a choice:
Keep trying to fix it…or stop interfering.
I chose to step back.
I:
put the remaining frames back together
closed the hive up
left it alone
No more chasing the queen or rearranging frames.
Sometimes the best move is giving the bees space to either recover - or fail clearly.
Is It a Loss?
Not yet.
The queen is alive
There are still some bees
There is drawn comb in place
That’s enough for a colony to rebuild - if the queen is viable and starts laying.
So this hive has shifted from “lost” to “wildcard.”
What I’m Watching Now
I won’t be getting back into the hives for two full weeks (aside from feeding the two new colonies).
Honestly…I’m not holding my breath on this one.
In two weeks, I’ll be looking for:
eggs
brood pattern
population growth
If there are eggs, everything changes.
Where Things Actually Stand
So instead of going from one colony to three strong ones…
Here’s the reality:
One strong original colony
One weak but potentially viable colony
One very uncertain long hive with a vocal queen
Not the clean outcome I planned - but the jury is still out.
Final Thoughts
So… why split the colony at all?
Right now, the outcome feels like a lot of chaos with questionable return - and a temporary setback to a perfectly strong original colony.
I’ve done splits before, but I’ve always let the bees raise their own queens.
This is the first time I’ve purchased mated queens.
The intent was to get a head start on the season - ideally making up for the cost of queens with increased production.
Will I do it again?
Maybe.
But at the moment, it doesn’t feel like it was worth the disruption.
At least for this season, I’m going back to what’s worked before: walk-away splits - and letting the bees handle the rest.
