Uniting and using Apigard

[Grub]

My mate is thinking of uniting (one queenles to a queen right colony) he was going to treat then all 1st, then unite but after reading the instruction on the tin it says do the other way around.

Can anyone explain why

Grub

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

2 packs of apiguard instead of 4 for one.

 

[sherwood]

2 packs of apiguard instead of 4 for one.

seems obvious to me as well

 

[Grub]

Sorry I forgot to add he wants to have a double brood box to winter on, he's not making up the 1 hive out of the two just wants to put one on top of the other.

Grub

 

[alanf]

he wants to have a double brood box to winter on, he's not making up the 1 hive out of the two just wants to put one on top of the other.

Your op said one was queenless. Are you confusing uniting with stacking?

 

[oliver90owner]

Sorry I forgot to add he wants to have a double brood box to winter on, he's not making up the 1 hive out of the two just wants to put one on top of the other.

What an utter waste of resources, IMO. There is just no point in uniting two very strong colonies. Otherwise we could all over-winter one super-sized colony and split it in the March with new bought-in queens. Somehow it doesn't seem to work like that.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sorry I forgot to add he wants to have a double brood box to winter on, he's not making up the 1 hive out of the two just wants to put one on top of the other.

Grub

If both colonies are that strong why doesn't he just introduce a new queen to the Q- one? If the colonies aren't that strong then Going on double brood at this time of year is just going to give then a heck of a lot of space to warm up in the winter.

 

[Grub]

Thanks Guys

I will let him know your thoughts.

Grub

 

[Poly Hive]

There is a very good reason for not uniting two strong colonies.

They have a very nasty tendency to fail to over winter.

Experimental work was done at Craibstone back in the 1950's and they were surprised that the big uns were near as poor as weak ones in failing to survive. Seems the thermal dynamics were as disturbed by strength as weakness.

Just a heads up.

PH