Merging supered colonies

[Goodwood]

What do the more experienced and commercial bee keepers do when it comes to merging colonies with a number of supers in situ on both colonies?
Have a dilemma with a failing queen i would like to squish and merge the colony with a new punchy one. Both have supers which are busy at the moment.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Move the one with the fewest supers on top. Newspaper unite.
Consolidate brood frames as soon as there is a decent amount of newspaper under the hive....usually only a couple of days.
Check the Q- box for queen cells

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

 

[Goodwood]

Thanks both, but my hesitation is where to make the join?
I guess if I squish her then the colony will be queenless and so My only concern might be drones jamming themselves in the QE?
just shove it all on top then....?

 

[Erichalfbee]

The drones will survive a couple of days

 

[enrico]

Use a squirt of air freshener in each part of the hive as you put them together. No paper needed, you can mix and match as much as you like. The air freshener is an instant mask of any smells, it is no worse or better then paper but is instant. Never failed for me yet
I use vanilla, but not almond!
E

 

[oliver90owner]

Err, requeen the one which is failing? Uniting two large colonies is likely to create another problem?

I suggest you think carefully before uniting two very strong colonies.

 

[Swarm]

Why not re queen the failing one?

 

[Goodwood]

Oliver and swarm...good advice. I had a re think yesterday after going in to find the failing queen. She had vanished and there was a new queen running around...a bit undersized but probably a virgin. Colony seemed calm and busy. So I shall ignore the ruined frames covered in pepperpot drone .... At least for the time being. If the new queen mates and starts to lay well I will start replacing the old frames bit by bit.
Meanwhile a super and a half of honey and busy, so will simply observe for now.
Thanks.