Late supercedure?

[Do224]

Test frame. Check three days. Did one three days ago. Quick squirt of air freshener and moved over to neighbouring hive.

Not sure if I’ve got the nerve to go with air freshener…would newspaper be safer for my first attempt at a unite?

I’ve also got the issue that my q+ colony is in a nuc. I guess I’ll need to transfer them into a full size hive, give them 24 hours to settle and the unite to the other colony?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not sure if I’ve got the nerve to go with air freshener…would newspaper be safer for my first attempt at a unite?

I’ve also got the issue that my q+ colony is in a nuc. I guess I’ll need to transfer them into a full size hive, give them 24 hours to settle and the unite to the other colony?

I was pleasantly neatly surprised at how easy this one was. Both boxes were really full. Checked them today. Queen migrated from bottom box to top. Masses of stores in both boxes and lots of bees. Test I am leaving on double 14x12 for the winter....I must be mad

Yes go with the newspaper and move to full size hive

 

[Do224]

I was pleasantly neatly surprised at how easy this one was. Both boxes were really full. Checked them today. Queen migrated from bottom box to top. Masses of stores in both boxes and lots of bees. Test I am leaving on double 14x12 for the winter....I must be mad

Yes go with the newspaper and move to full size hive

Glad it went well . Can I just put the five frames from the nuc in a full size hive, in the middle, and leave the rest of the box empty? I guess I then need to leave for a day so they can settle…bit worried about wasps, but I’ll put a conduit entrance on (they have one on the nuc at the moment and they seem to be fighting off the wasps ok).

I’ve just searched for newspaper unites on the forum and found countless tales of woe….maybe it really would be easier to try the air freshener .

 

[Erichalfbee]

I used newspaper for years, and never had a problem. But honestly the air freshener works a real treat
I have a uniting board so that I can unite a nuc to a big hive but just put the frames to one side or fill with foundation...it really doesn't matter. Two sheets of newspaper pricked a few times and the bees are through overnight. I go back to consolidate a couple of days later

 

[Antipodes]

Glad it went well . Can I just put the five frames from the nuc in a full size hive, in the middle, and leave the rest of the box empty? I guess I then need to leave for a day so they can settle…bit worried about wasps, but I’ll put a conduit entrance on (they have one on the nuc at the moment and they seem to be fighting off the wasps ok).

I’ve just searched for newspaper unites on the forum and found countless tales of woe….maybe it really would be easier to try the air freshener .

If uncertain, you could use both air freshener and newspaper including some air freshener sprayed onto the newspaper.

 

[user 20297]

Glad it went well . Can I just put the five frames from the nuc in a full size hive, in the middle, and leave the rest of the box empty? I guess I then need to leave for a day so they can settle…bit worried about wasps, but I’ll put a conduit entrance on (they have one on the nuc at the moment and they seem to be fighting off the wasps ok).

I’ve just searched for newspaper unites on the forum and found countless tales of woe….maybe it really would be easier to try the air freshener .

I was in the same quandary about the various opinions and approaches. I trust @enrico, who is keen on the air-freshener. But I have also been convinced by the eminent @Michael Palmer and by @magor and his excellent explanation of what goes on. What I therefore did very succesfully last time, was to unite through newspaper, with the queenless hive moved to the stand of the queenright hive, with the queenright hive then placed above it.

If I have the theory right, the incoming foragers of the QR hive will be bearing forage. They will find strangers in "their" hive who will receive them because they bear "gifts". The exchange of nectar between bees at the entrance or soon after, will quickly homogenise the scent of the colony before the bees even break through the newspaper.

 

[Do224]

the queenless hive moved to the stand of the queenright hive, with the queenright hive then placed above it.

But won’t the foragers from the q- hive return and cluster on their original hive position?

 

[Erichalfbee]

But won’t the foragers from the q- hive return and cluster on their original hive position?

Not for long. It helps if the colonies are next to each other but even if they aren’t the bees will blag their way in somewhere.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But won’t the foragers from the q- hive return and cluster on their original hive position?

they'll soon work it out or find a space somewhere else

 

[user 20297]

But won’t the foragers from the q- hive return and cluster on their original hive position?

As well explained above. But in any move, you risk the displacement of foragers.

 

[Do224]

Test frame is in. Plenty larvae of varying sizes…didn’t bother checking if there were eggs as I see from another thread that they would just be eaten.

Incredible roar from the hive as soon as I lifted the roof off, even before I cracked the crown board

 

[user 20297]

Test frame is in. Plenty larvae of varying sizes…didn’t bother checking if there were eggs as I see from another thread that they would just be eaten.

Incredible roar from the hive as soon as I lifted the roof off, even before I cracked the crown board

I just checked an apparently queenless hive today after three days of them minding a test-frame for me. Nothing doing. So that's two weeks now with no eggs, and I think the queen went AWOL when I was away for the ten days at the beginning of August. They're still happy little bees, so I guess they have a new "her ladyship" stowed away somewhere. I still have loads of drones in some hives and tons of nectar coming in, so all is not lost. I think we northerners have a much later and different end of season outlook than further south.
Edit: .....or maybe the pre-existing queen is having a rest?

 

[B_north]

I think we northeners have a much later and different end of season outlook than further south.

Possibly, my drones have not been evicted yet, they are still going strong.

 

[user 20297]

M

Possibly, my drones have not been evicted yet, they are still going strong.

Maybe I should have said, "You northerners"?

 

[Do224]

Just checked the test frame and full of emergency cells. Tore them down and gave back to the donor hive. Checked through all other frames just in case but no more cells.

Having shook all the bees off the frames to check for cells they were a bit agitated so decided it was best to leave the uniting until tomorrow.

Plan to unite q+colony on top of q- colony using the newspaper method. If I do this tomorrow, when should I go back and combine everything into one bb?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just checked the test frame and full of emergency cells. Tore them down and gave back to the donor hive. Checked through all other frames just in case but no more cells.

Having shook all the bees off the frames to check for cells they were a bit agitated so decided it was best to leave the uniting until tomorrow.

Plan to unite q+colony on top of q- colony using the newspaper method. If I do this tomorrow, when should I go back and combine everything into one bb?

I go back when there is a good amount of newspaper under the omf. Usually by three days.

 

[Do224]

I go back when there is a good amount of newspaper under the omf. Usually by three days.

Can I vape say the day after combining into one box or will they need time to settle?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Go ahead.