Combining help please????

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dudley

House Bee
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
154
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Location
Kent uk
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
2 apiary's 1 with 3 hives 2nd with 5 hives
Can you help, I have 2 questions please?
I have small caste swarm taken a month ago in a nuc box in my No1 apiary, basically 2/3 frames of bees with a queen who is laying ok as there is a small amount of capped brood and eggs on both sides of one frame.

On Sunday I removed a colony from a chimney that had a catastrophic mishap a month ago where all the brood fell from the top of the chimney into the room below.
They rebuilt comb well, but when we took it out on Sunday there was no brood or eggs, just masses of capped honey and with such angry bees it is obvious they are queen less.
I placed a hive on top of the chimney with a frame of brood from a good colony and it instantly acted as magnet to this queen less colony. So I now have them nicely hived in their original location strapped to the top of the chimney stack. And I estimate at least 5 full frames of very upset bees.
My plan is to move them to my No2 apiary. As I do this I would like to combine them with my caste from my No1 apiary which is also more than 3 miles away.

My Question?
When I move the caste from No1 apiary and the colony from the chimney do I combine them immediately or let them settle in their new location?
Do I put the queen right caste on top of the queen less colony or visa versa?

Thank you. Steve.
 
As I understand it both hives will be moved ... that being the case I'd put them on top of each other (with a roof/floor in between), let them settle for a day, then unite the following evening with newspaper. Moved bees can be a little fractious ... let them learn about the new environment for 24 hours. I always have the queen right hive on the bottom ... but I've read it works both ways.
 
As I understand it both hives will be moved ... that being the case I'd put them on top of each other (with a roof/floor in between), let them settle for a day, then unite the following evening with newspaper. Moved bees can be a little fractious ... let them learn about the new environment for 24 hours. I always have the queen right hive on the bottom ... but I've read it works both ways.

Thank you for that information. I shall let both colonies settle in their new location and then combine as you recommend.

Regards Steve.
 
hi i was wondering as i want to do the same sort of thing would you block up the enterance on wich hive the queen right hive or the queenless one

m
 
I'm not sure I understand ... the uniting colonies need only one entrance. I leave the bottom brood box on its floor as usual then add a sheet of newspaper and then the top brood box. The latter has no entrance ... they have to nibble through to the bottom box.

D.
 
Thanks and yes that is what i have done and the reason you may not have understood was because i was combining with two cheep ply nuc boxes with holes in the face as an entrance rather than the normal landing board stile entrance on the floor.

Thanks again its good to have such experienced beeks with their experience at hand.

m
 

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