Boosting existing colonies by introducing swarms

[B+.]

Newspaper it is then...how many is a few sheets...are we talking say 3, or more like 8

3 should be enough. Use your judgement about the thickness of the paper. I haven't bought a newspaper in years so it's just a guide.

 

[Ian123]

I’ll use 1 sheet when uniting with a qx holding it down to protect from rips. Try it on a windy day without the Qx recent swarms can be united by simply chucking into a box and a spray/water. I’ve chucked a number together before and added a couple of section racks. Even house them in a super with a rack or 2 above.

 

[user 20297]

It would be better to use one as a donor hive. Isolate the swarm until you know it is good and then take frames of brood to boost existing colonies and keep the. Swarm small.

......that's what I've been doing with a nuc which was weak (my fault). At intervals of about a week I gave them a total of two frames of capped brood (in my case, not from a swarm); I could have given them more. This has been sufficient to build them to the point where they went into a dummied, full sized box last weekend and now have the critical mass to achieve a filled, deep box in plenty of time for winter.

 

[Do224]

recent swarms can be united by simply chucking into a box and a spray/water. I’ve chucked a number together before and added a couple of section racks. Even house them in a super with a rack or 2 above.

How recent is ‘recent’? Are we talking swarms that have all been caught within say the same week?

 

[Do224]

3 should be enough. Use your judgement about the thickness of the paper. I haven't bought a newspaper in years so it's just a guide.

How long will it take them to eat through and merge? Just thinking if you were to combine two colonies like this in the heat at the moment would there be a risk of the top box bees overheating before they chew through....

Also, once they’ve chewed through and merged can you literally just go back in and shake all the bees down into the bottom box and close up?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How long will it take them to eat through and merge?

Hours maybe 12, occasionally 24

 

[Ian123]

Give it 5/6 days before going in and shaking bees about. Go in to early and they can ball the queen.

 

[oliver90owner]

Simple answer to the original post is NO.

Now, if the swarm was from your own hives it would be different. If requeening the swarm, it would be different.

The beekeeper needs to carefully think over the possible outcomes before acting. An apiary full of infected colonies due to a trick like that unfortunately deserves the losses.

Swarms of unknown heritage should be kept far apart from healthy colonies, until proven healthy.