Merging/Uniting

Lance Hutchings · Jun 23, 2011

Hi all
I have just (attempted), tried to merge two small swarms using the paper between the nukes method, (scrub queen killed and paper held down by qe and pricked, paper that is).
My problems is, is that after a day and a half they havent chewed through the paper.
Can I remove the paper/qe now ?
Have they had enough time to be affected by the queens phermones to do so ?
Or should i leave it a little longer ?
Just dont want the bees that are trapped in the upper nuke to get stressed or suffer ...
Many thanks for advice

Lance

Jim Lavie · Jun 23, 2011

New myself (1yr) i I had this problem and put a few more holes in the paper with my hive tool after 24 hrs and it worked for me! Though what do I know!
regards
jim

Rosti · Jun 23, 2011

Be brave! Pricking paper can be too delicate IMO.

Paper on, cover with QE.
If you have a hive tool with a lifting hook on one end then push that through the QE fully puncturing the paper, repeat 6-10 times at an even spacing. If not go for full hive tool width splits aligned to the QE (cant do this if you have slotted QE's - can if you are on wire).

Resulting holes still too small to allow bee access without a fair bit of chewing but large enough to attract attention and get the pheromones moving.

Works for me!

BILL.HEARD · Jun 23, 2011

Just be patient, when they are united you will find chewed-up pieces of paper outside the hive entrance.

enrico · Jun 23, 2011

Don't just look at the outside of the paper. Very often they just chew a bit in the middle and are moving between the two box's through that. You wouldn't see it unless you completely remove the top box! Not being facetious it is just that it is an easy mistake to make!
E

Mosquito · Jun 23, 2011

I have done the same thing many times and have had no problems till today.
I collected a small swarm 2 days ago.
I guess a cast with a virgin Queen as there was only around 1000 bees.
Removed the queen and joined them up with my hive with a new queen in yesterday.
They must have found a gap in the paper as there were around 100 dead bees on the floor in front of the hive this morning.

bushman1872 · Jun 23, 2011

I had a similar thing but with gretaer numbers of dead bees I was worried that they hadn't accepted the swarm and new queen but appears it was just a introductory spat as the queen is still alive with out anymore dead bees.