Rotating weak hive with strong hive. What to expect

[adamant]

Tried it today we will see if it works. Had a hive that i noticed a few bees coming out of and one three down with a lot at the enterence so i made the switch late afternoon and even added a deep with drawn comb.

Question.. how long* till i see a difference?

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[Mike a]

Question.. how long* till i see a difference?2

Depends on the size of the small colony, I've seen a small colony wiped out when this was tried a few years ago. The foraging bees seriously out numbered the small colony and killed every bee of the small colony. You can get away with doing this if they were recently artificial swarmed to balance up both colonies but I've not heard it working with non related colonies.

Will be interesting to hear what happens.

 

[AmyB]

I do this all the time to try and equalise colonies and help out struggling nucs. I know some people disagree with this and say you should give brood instead but I have never found any problems.
I did this with a strong hive and a weak nuc last week. Checked them yesterday and the nuc is now full of bees and progressing much better. Its an instant fix where brood takes time.

 

[masterBK]

You should always ask yourself the question "why is the colony weak compared to others? Never carry out equalisation unless you are absolutely sure the weak colony is not weak because of some disease or infestation. Far better to produce another colony from the strong one as part of your swarm prevention/control management system. If the colony is weak because the queen is underperforming (or her offspring are genetically not up to it) then replace her when you can with a queen reared from the strong one.

 

[psafloyd]

Tried it today we will see if it works. Had a hive that i noticed a few bees coming out of and one three down with a lot at the enterence so i made the switch late afternoon and even added a deep with drawn comb.

Question.. how long* till i see a difference?

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Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

Finman says it works, so I think it probably will.

 

[Midland Beek]

There are better ways to equalize colonies.

 

[adamant]

There are better ways to equalize colonies.

Midland tell me..please

 

[Finman]

.
That changing operation is hazard job. You spoil the better hive build up.

If you take one frame of emerging brood, weak hive gets a good boost. Then you see, is the weak hive queen able to react when it gets more workers..

When you donate workers to weak colony, who takes care about strong coly's brood?

 

[Finman]

Depends on the size of the small colony, I've seen a small colony wiped out when this was tried a few years ago..

that is a normal result. Bees tend to kill foreing bees, and queen too.

 

[Finman]

Finman says it works, so I think it probably will.

i have never adviced to do this.

My favorit trick is that I add a frame of emerging bees. First I shake all bees off fron comb.
One brood frame gives 3 frames bees. It is good aid to too small colony.

If it is not enough, a week later give another frame.

If it does not help, queen is sick or old.

 

[psafloyd]

i have never adviced to do this.

My favorit trick is that I add a frame of emerging bees. First I shake all bees off fron comb.
One brood frame gives 3 frames bees. It is good aid to too small colony.

If it is not enough, a week later give another frame.

If it does not help, queen is sick or old.

My apologies, Finman, I must have misremembered a thread.