Author Topic: Combining Hives  (Read 2240 times)

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Offline Tommy

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Combining Hives
« on: April 25, 2017, 03:57:13 pm »
Hey all. I have a weak hive and a strong hive.  As per some Provincial literature I've read, I decided to stack the weak hive over the strong hive. A queen excluder with a sheet of news paper (with several slits) is placed on top between the boxes. I believe there is a queen in each box. The slits in the paper where to provide an opportunity to adjust to each other.  Can I remove the paper or should I let the bees take care of it?

Thanks!

Offline Perry

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2017, 04:14:48 pm »
Hey Tommy. How weak is the weak hive? If the weaker one is just that, why not equalize the two instead of combining, or were you thinking of trying to run a 2 queen hive?
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Offline Lburou

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2017, 05:53:14 pm »
The bees will take care of the paper, if that is what you decide to do.   My first thought reading your OP was as Perry suggested.  Then I remembered one of the most accomplished beekeepers on this site, Tec, showed me a two hives at the Texas A&M Bee Lab he was equalizing exactly as you described.  I'm most comfortable equalizing as Perry  suggested, but the other  approach will work as well.  :)
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Offline Perry

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2017, 07:00:39 pm »
Equalizing can be relatively simple to do. If there isn't too large a discrepancy in the hives, simply switching their positions at the height of the day can accomplish much.
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Offline Tommy

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2017, 09:01:14 pm »
Silly me. Looks like I posted the same thing twice. Thanks for the input. Weaker hive is about 3-4 frames and the bottom one is strong.  I was going to try and go with a two frame hive and see how things work out, or maybe equalize. Still on the fence.  I was just curious what would happen if I remove the paper vs the bees moving it.

Offline riverbee

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2017, 12:46:52 am »
let the bees chew through the paper don't remove it, and as lee and perry mentioned equalization works well, without combining, (keeping two hives) but you have already combined?
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Offline Tommy

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2017, 09:57:42 am »
The hives are combined, but the bees aren't really moving up.

Offline Perry

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2017, 10:09:11 am »
The bees will eventually remove the paper.
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Offline Tommy

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2017, 10:44:02 am »
Cool. On a side note the bees in the strong hive seem to all be hanging out on the top bars of the hive, even though there's lots of stores, and what's left of a sugar brick sitting on top (they seem to be dropping it out on the bottom board for the most part). Is this normal? I was going to try a split if I can equalize the hives? Any advice is appreciated.

Offline Mosti

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2017, 12:15:01 pm »
Equalizing can be relatively simple to do. If there isn't too large a discrepancy in the hives, simply switching their positions at the height of the day can accomplish much.

Hi Perry, wouldn't that cause trouble with guard bees and foragers fighting???

Offline tedh

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2017, 05:50:50 pm »
Hey Mosti!  My understanding is since the foragers will return to the "new" hive bearing stores, pollen and nectar, they are more readily allowed in where as robbers bring in nothing but trouble to the "new" colony.  That's just my understanding.  Tex
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2017, 08:55:53 pm »
"On a side note the bees in the strong hive seem to all be hanging out on the top bars of the hive, even though there's lots of stores, and what's left of a sugar brick sitting on top (they seem to be dropping it out on the bottom board for the most part). Is this normal? I was going to try a split if I can equalize the hives? Any advice is appreciated."

tommy, the bees are probably 'hanging out' on the top bars of the hive because they are dragging out the remnants of the left over sugar brick on the bottom board..........just my guess.....so yes, normal. eventually they will move down.

"wouldn't that cause trouble with guard bees and foragers fighting???"
equalization.......your aim is to remove frames with nurse bees/house bees on them, nurse bees have no alliance. when i remove frames (be it brood, pollen or honey stores)to equalize or give to other hives, depending on what frames i am moving, i tend to give the frames a shake, if i need to add extra bees i don't shake.....these are frames with house bees.....foragers might get transferred in the process, however foragers return to their original hive, unless i move the hive. if you are concerned about fighting bees when transferring frames, give them a light spray of sugar syrup.

if you are switching positions of hives, foragers bearing pollen/nectar will be examined by the guard bees, but allowed into the hive (they are bringing food into the colony).
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Offline Mosti

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2017, 02:38:56 am »
That clear now. Is sugar syrup spray in a 1:1ratio??

Offline riverbee

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #13 on: April 27, 2017, 02:52:39 pm »
yes mosti, that's what i use. too busy licking themselves off to be fighting among themselves.
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Offline neillsayers

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #14 on: April 27, 2017, 04:39:11 pm »
When I use the spray and add method, I put about a quarter teaspoon of vanilla extract in the syrup to eliminate the foreign hive scent. Worked pretty good for me- almost no fighting.
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #15 on: April 27, 2017, 05:35:40 pm »
that works too neil,  i will sometimes add just a little hbh.
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Offline Tommy

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2017, 05:56:19 pm »
Thanks for all the great info. I poked around the hives over the weekend and decided to mix things up. I reversed the hives when the bees were out foraging and also added an excluder and news paper prior to adding the strong deeps on top.  Its been preset cold and damp here the last few days, but I'm interested to see how things look on the weekend. Keeping fingers crossed!

Offline Perry

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #17 on: May 01, 2017, 06:27:30 pm »
Guard bees allow "strange" foragers in if they are bearing gifts of benefit. Sort of like letting in "Uncle Bob" (that you really can't stand) because he always brings a 40 ouncer of Crown Royal. ;D
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #18 on: May 01, 2017, 11:57:26 pm »
"Thanks for all the great info. I poked around the hives over the weekend and decided to mix things up. I reversed the hives when the bees were out foraging and also added an excluder and news paper prior to adding the strong deeps on top.  Its been preset cold and damp here the last few days, but I'm interested to see how things look on the weekend. Keeping fingers crossed!"

tommy let us know how it all worked out for you!
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Offline Tommy

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Re: Combining Hives
« Reply #19 on: May 04, 2017, 08:16:27 pm »
Things are looking up so far. I took a quick peek yesterday when adding some 1:1 syrup.  Definitely more bees in the bottom/weak hive now.  I'm going to take another peek the next time we get a little nice weather and see what's up. I'll let you know how it goes.  Thanks again for the great advice!