Combining colonies

[steveselvage]

I made a couple of small splits last summer in case I lost some over winter.
I lost none and this has left me with spares.
One of my hives is a bit defensive and I'm going to re queen when I find her .
My question is could I unite one of the nucs with the stroppy hive with a queen already laying like mad rather than buying another mated queen.
The defensive colony is my biggest and I wondered about uniting a smaller colony with it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes.
Unite them with newspaper and put the queen right bees on top where I reckon the queen is safer
BUT is a "bit defensive" a bad thing?
Maybe sell the nuc?
Nuc prices are madness this year!

 

[steveselvage]

They are in my garden so I really want calm bees, my others are lovely but this lot are from a swarm and not the same.
I thought maybe better to combine as the queen is already laying.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Then combine. Kill the queen and combine them straightaway.
Another but though. Where are the splits from. Are they from your nice colony?

 

[steveselvage]

Then combine. Kill the queen and combine them straightaway.
Another but though. Where are the splits from. Are they from your nice colony?

The splits all have bought in buckfast queens in, the colony I want to requeen isn't nasty just less friendly than the others.
Couldn't find her today but I'll have another look next week

 

[Ian123]

Hi Steve just a little note re the process of uniting, use a queen excluder to hold your paper in place 1 it stops the bloody thing blowing off and you standing there holding the box! Secondly I’ve had brace comb on the underside rip holes in the paper when the box is placed on top. I have once had bees not go through the paper, a few pin pricks in a small area is all that’s required. Leave the unite for 5-6 days before inspecting don’t bang around or overly smoke, early intervention can result in a balled queen. Always check the queenless section for cells as some can be started before the bees are in contact.

 

[steveselvage]

Thanks for the advice, it's got me thinking.
I have 2 spare nucs, both with nice queens. I reckon I could take a queen from one nuc in a cage, introduce it into the spicy hive then unite the now queenless nuc with the queenright one giving me a bigger colony to go straight into a hive.

 

[Ian123]

Thanks for the advice, it's got me thinking.
I have 2 spare nucs, both with nice queens. I reckon I could take a queen from one nuc in a cage, introduce it into the spicy hive then unite the now queenless nuc with the queenright one giving me a bigger colony to go straight into a hive.

Any unite or introduction even through paper has a risk. I’d suggest sticking with the paper unite, Although to boost the nuc you could take a frame of sealed/emerging brood from the 1 you intend to unite. Your existing nuc will happily build to a honey producing hive without any help it’s early!
Introducing queens to stroppy bees is often unsuccessful! I don’t bother these days they get used as cell raisers or split for nucs/cells

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks for the advice, it's got me thinking.
I have 2 spare nucs, both with nice queens. I reckon I could take a queen from one nuc in a cage, introduce it into the spicy hive then unite the now queenless nuc with the queenright one giving me a bigger colony to go straight into a hive.

you are much better off uniting the whole nuc with the target colony