Swarming is one of the biggest challenges for beekeepers, especially during the peak of the season when colonies are expanding rapidly. In this video, I’ll walk you through how to perform a Demaree Split, a tried-and-true beekeeping method that prevents swarming while keeping your colony strong and productive. This technique is perfect for beekeepers who want to maintain their hive’s population without making traditional splits that remove bees from the colony.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to use the Demaree Method to control swarming, improve honey production, and manage your hive with minimal stress.
What is the Demaree Method?
The Demaree Method is a swarm prevention technique developed by George Demaree in 1892. It involves separating the queen and the majority of the brood while still keeping them in the same hive. Unlike traditional splits, this method does not remove bees from the colony but instead reorganizes their structure to reduce swarming urges.
The basic principle behind this method is that swarming is triggered when the hive becomes congested with too many bees and too much brood in the brood chamber. By separating the queen from most of the brood while maintaining a large workforce, the colony remains productive and less likely to swarm.
When Should You Perform a Demaree Split?
The best time to perform a Demaree Split is before swarming season begins, typically in early spring when you notice an increase in brood and population growth.
Look for these signs that indicate a Demaree split may be necessary:
The hive is packed with bees and brood in all stages.
The colony has started producing queen cups or queen cells.
The bees are bearding outside the hive, indicating congestion.
The nectar flow is beginning, and the colony is growing rapidly.
If you wait too long and the colony has already decided to swarm, this method may not be as effective. Performing a preemptive Demaree split ensures your bees remain in control and continue focusing on honey production instead of swarming.
Step-by-Step Guide to Performing a Demaree Split
1. Gather Your Equipment
Before you begin, make sure you have the necessary equipment:
Two deep brood boxes
Queen excluder
Frames of drawn comb or foundation
Smoker and hive tool
Extra supers (if honey flow is strong)
2. Find the Queen
The first step is to locate the queen. She is usually found in the brood chamber, often on frames with eggs or young larvae. Be gentle and careful when handling her.
3. Rearrange the Boxes
Once you’ve found the queen, follow these steps:
Move all brood frames (except the one with the queen) into the top box. Ensure that all stages of brood (eggs, larvae, and capped brood) are moved to the upper box.
Leave the queen in the lower box with just one frame of open brood and plenty of empty comb or foundation for her to lay new eggs.
Insert a queen excluder between the two boxes to prevent the queen from moving up.
Fill the gaps in both boxes with drawn comb or new foundation to provide space for bees to expand.
4. Inspect for Queen Cells
Since the upper box contains most of the brood, the bees may try to raise a new queen. If you don’t want them to do this, remove any queen cells during your first inspection (around 7–10 days later). If you want to raise a spare queen, you can allow them to develop a new one in the top box.
5. Supering the Hive
Since the Demaree method keeps a large foraging force intact, your colony will continue collecting nectar efficiently. If there’s a strong nectar flow, add honey supers to ensure they have space to store honey.
Benefits of the Demaree Method
✔ Prevents swarming without weakening the colony
✔ Keeps the foraging force intact for maximum honey production
✔ Reduces congestion in the brood nest
✔ Allows for controlled queen rearing if desired
✔ Easy to implement with minimal disruption
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