Combining hives

[Chatbees]

Folks, I'm anticipating having to combine two of my colonies and dispatching the queen in the weaker. The hives are at other sides of the garden, about 20 foot apart. Do I move the colony with the Q I retain to the other or vice versa, and what happens to the flying bees from the hive that has been moved?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I would move the weaker hive when the bees are not flying and place on top of the strong hive separated by several layers of newspaper. By the time they have chewed through the paper to combine they will reorientate and not return to the original position.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Folks, I'm anticipating having to combine two of my colonies and dispatching the queen in the weaker. The hives are at other sides of the garden, about 20 foot apart. Do I move the colony with the Q I retain to the other or vice versa, and what happens to the flying bees from the hive that has been moved?

doesn't matter which way you do it, doesn't matter whether it's the weaker or stronger colony on top. - just make sure the colony you move goes on top of the paper unite.
Prepare everything in the afternoon, putting the newspaper on the 'receiving' hive in place, held down by a queen excluder and removing the queen you are getting rid of. use a hive tool to loosen the propolis seal of the box you are removing from the floor it is on.
Last thing in the evening, take off the roof of the receiving hive then quickly move the donor hive off its floor and onto its new position.

 

[Chatbees]

So ,am I right in thinking the flying bees I have moved are effectively "locked in " between the QE and paper underneath them and the crown board above them? Consequently the only way out is by chewing through the paper ( by which time they will have forgotten their original home)

 

[ericbeaumont]

two of my colonies and dispatching the queen in the weaker

Why is the weaker colony weak?

 

[drex]

We are more than likely to get a prolonged cold, non flying, spell before it gets warm enough to unite colonies.
During such a spell I would move the hives to be adjacent to each other, ready to be united. That way you minimise the risk of bees being disoriented as to location.
Then as per JBM.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So ,am I right in thinking the flying bees I have moved are effectively "locked in " between the QE and paper underneath them and the crown board above them? Consequently the only way out is by chewing through the paper ( by which time they will have forgotten their original home)

yes