Colony Uniting

[ashley hunter]

Can anyone tell me if there is a best time of day to unite a colony. I am concerned about what happens to the bees in the top box that are being United My assumption is that will not be able to get back into their box. If I do it during the day I am guessing there will be a lot out foraging with no where to go. Or do they beg there way into another hive ? Or just perish ??
I thought perhaps early evening might be better ??
Thank you for and advice

 

[drex]

Late evening might be better when most foragers will be back home. I move the colonies towards each other by 3 feet every couple of days, until next to each other. Stray bees will beg their way into nearby hives anyway

 

[Erichalfbee]

Here’s what I have done for years.
Never bothered about having colonies next to each other
Doesn’t matter which box the queen is in. Bottom box, you know exactly where she is when consolidating the frames, in then top box, she is probably safer if her colony is considerably smaller than the recipient.
In the afternoon ease the box which will be moved off the floor. Just to loosen it.
With the other box put a sheet of newspaper under a QX on the brood.Put the top back on.
In the evening when the bees have stopped flying move the loosened box on top of the other. Some people like to put a few small holes in the newspaper. I don’t bother. Trust me. If you move gently you will not have any bees spilling out of the box you move.
You can unite with air freshener but I have never done it. In which case the bees need to be flying and the boxes next to each other.

 

[ashley hunter]

Thank you for the help - much appreciated

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Here’s what I have done for years.
Never bothered about having colonies next to each other
Doesn’t matter which box the queen is in. Bottom box, you know exactly where she is when consolidating the frames, in then top box, she is probably safer if her colony is considerably smaller than the recipient.
In the afternoon ease the box which will be moved off the floor. Just to loosen it.
With the other box put a sheet of newspaper under a QX on the brood.Put the top back on.
In the evening when the bees have stopped flying move the loosened box on top of the other. Some people like to put a few small holes in the newspaper. I don’t bother. Trust me. If you move gently you will not have any bees spilling out of the box you move.
You can unite with air freshener but I have never done it. In which case the bees need to be flying and the boxes next to each other.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Forgot.
Remove the queen you don’t want that afternoon or just before you move your box if using air freshener

 

[Madge]

...You can unite with air freshener but I have never done it. In which case the bees need to be flying and the boxes next to each other.

Why should the bees be flying when uniting with air freshener?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Because you are taking the crownboard off the bottom brood box to spray the top bars and tipping the top brood back to spray the bottom bars. You’ll lose quite a few bees ? What I meant was don’t do it in the evening like a newspaper unite?

 

[Madge]

... I am concerned about what happens to the bees in the top box that are being United My assumption is that will not be able to get back into their box. ...

If you're worried about the top box's flying bees finding themselves homeless (and I also worry about that), try Dave Cushman's uniting board. The construction is here, and the instructions are here. Another advantage of using this board is that you can lock them in, in the evening, and then unite them the next morning in daylight.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You still have to open them up to spray them with air frehener

 

[masterBK]

Don't forget to clean the "wild" comb off the tops of frames of the bottom colony and the bottom of the frames of the top colony earlier in the day before plonking the latter on top of the former in the evening.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Good tip but if you’re using frames wire QX you’d get away without it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I never get that problem with single beespace floors

 

[Madge]

You still have to open them up to spray them with air frehener

Jenkins, is this in reply to my question to Dani about flying bees when using an air freshener spray, or in reply to my post about the the Cushman uniting board - or something completely different?
Kitta

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Both

 

[Madge]

Both

Well, that's wrong. You don't need to spray the hive with air freshener when using a uniting board. The top box remains closed, and it doesn't matter if the bees in the bottom box flies about. And definitely no air freshener.

Opening the hive for spraying - yes, bees will fly about, so best to be done daytime.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But Dani was speaking about the air freshener method.........

 

[Madge]

Yes, and she answered my question. I then moved on. Wake up!