if one unites..does the 3 mile rule

[Cuckmere couple]

apply

as in

united a colony by placing a smaller colony in teh upper box above paper....

this colony was in the same apiary...when the bees get through the paper and into lower box...will they return to original site if <2-3 miles?

 

[Ian123]

At 2-3 miles you could move the hive let alone unite with no issues. The 3 mile rule of thumb is rather ott anyway.

 

[drex]

In the same apiary, I put the colony I am moving on top of the paper used to unite. This seems to make them re set their sat navs. If I have time I try to get the two colonies as close to each other as possible before the unite, moving each 3 feet at a time.

 

[Rosti]

In the same apiary, I put the colony I am moving on top of the paper used to unite. This seems to make them re set their sat navs. If I have time I try to get the two colonies as close to each other as possible before the unite, moving each 3 feet at a time.

I do the same as Drex.

 

[For want of a better word]

Weaker colony on top with FT in between..... supers from the strong colony being united on top above a qx.

May seem obvious.. but make very sure the weak colony is hopelessly queen less!

in same apiary OK

Chons da

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks all

very helpful

 

[Curly green fingers]

Weaker colony on top with FT in between..... supers from the strong colony being united on top above a qx.

May seem obvious.. but make very sure the weak colony is hopelessly queen less!

in same apiary OK

Chons da

Why I can see the benefits of making them
hopelessly q- but as soon as you remove the queen from a colony they no straight away I've had 100% success uniting after 1/hour using paper or A,F
No war as yet in two seasons.

 

[drex]

Why I can see the benefits of making them
hopelessly q- but as soon as you remove the queen from a colony they no straight away .

I run double brood and if queen hunting I separate the two brood boxes. Within a minute I know which box to look in for the queen by the bees behaviour.

 

[BernardBlack]

I would have thought the new Q pheromone would guide the ‘new’ bees home to their new position.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I run double brood and if queen hunting I separate the two brood boxes. Within a minute I know which box to look in for the queen by the bees behaviour.

What's the difference in behaviour?

 

[drex]

Box with queen is calm, queenless box bees are agitated

 

[Eyeman]

I run double brood and if queen hunting I separate the two brood boxes. Within a minute I know which box to look in for the queen by the bees behaviour.

Within a minute! Blimey they must be missing their mother.
Depends a bit on how calm the bees are to start with and how much one's already upset them trying to find the queen.

 

[thorn]

And the answer to the original question is no, the rule doesn't apply.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I agree the three mile rule doesn't apply .
Thanks drex.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

cheers all

id combined a nuc (above another colony) and then found a good number of bees back at original site...must have been flyers still out when i removed the nuc