Doing Snelgrove splits this weekend - could use some help!

[Charlie Garrott]

If all goes right, I will be setting up some hives for Snelgrove splits this Saturday and Sunday. I could use some help, especially finding queens.

Email me if you are interested. My email address is on the members list on the website.

Charlie Garrott

Pattison Lake area

[Nathan Allan]

I watched some videos to see how this works. It seems similar to the demaree method. Wish I had time but alas I do not.

[Ariana Wood]

Had a great afternoon with Charlie looking for the queen for the Snelgrove split!  Unfortunately, we did not find it.  But he has a plan for next steps.

We did inspect a few other hives, saw the queen in one of those, and concluded that one did not have a queen at all (barely hanging on, low activity).  As a brand new beekeeper myself, it was great to see Charlie's setup.  A few things I took away....

• I planned to put both of my upcoming hives on the same platform.  While I'm sticking with that plan for now, I saw the benefit of being able to access the hive more easily if each one is free standing.
• I was reminded to put my newly purchased yellow jacket traps out.
• I got some more ideas for water sources.
• Extra tables/platforms help with the ergonomics for lifting and moving things around.
• I appreciated seeing hives in different stages, getting familiar with the difference between regular and drone brood, and seeing the one queen that we spotted.

Thanks, Charlie!

On Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:11:13 PM UTC-7 charlie...@gmail.com wrote:

[Charlie Garrott]

The Snelgrove split will make its own queen. The split stays on top of the home hive (separated by the Snelgrove double screen board) until the new queen is laying and making brood. At that time, the new hive can be moved to a remote apiary for a week or 2 and then returned to the home apiary.

I think that early next week I will set up 3 more Snelgrove splits and do one walk-away split. I will let the walk-away split make its own queen. That has worked for me in the past. The downside of the walk-away split is risk of successful mating and return and a fairly long period until the new queen starts laying and a delay in making honey. The upside is that the new queen is being bred locally from proven stock.

That is all my opinion. We'll see how reality transpires!

Charlie Garrott

On Wed, Apr 22, 2026 at 7:40 PM Bryan Henn <bryan...@gmail.com> wrote:

I’m wondering if you did the split with adding a new queen or let the split make a queen? Also what is the plan on moving the hive after they get established?

[Bryan Henn]

I’m wondering if you did the split with adding a new queen or let the split make a queen? Also what is the plan on moving the hive after they get established?

On Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 11:22:20 PM UTC-7 Ariana Wood wrote: