Uniting Colonies

[Frenchie]

I've been reading Dave Cushman lately and on uniting colonies he states it is prudent to leave both queens rather than killing the least desirable. His argument is that the bees can make a better choice on which queen to keep. My concern would be that you could end up with one dead queen and one damaged queen. Has anyone tried this?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think this is one of the times when I would say he's talking out of his hat (unless it's the opinion of the new custodian) IMHO it's only a fool who would leave both queens fight it out. Could end up with no queen, a cripple or the worse one winning.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

And the winner is .......
The bad-tempered bee queen. Hooray!

I would rather select - unless you are throwing swarms together, for example.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No.....you choose

 

[BrianO]

Surely , there must be some merit in it, survival of the fittest etc etc.

Maybe it's more complex than we understand.

 

[itma]

I've been reading Dave Cushman lately and on uniting colonies he states ...

Could you give a link to the specific page please?


/// UPDATE
Found it. And it is Cushman rather than Patterson that is straying this time ...

Many texts will tell you to kill the least desirable queen in one of the two groups to be united, but I find it is often prudent to leave both queens, so that the bees can make the choice, in most cases the younger and fitter queen remains, but there may be subtle things in a queen's make up that the bees are better able to make choices about rather than the beekeeper.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/unitenewspaper.html

Count me among those who think it part of the beekeeper's job to select the Q.

 

[Erichalfbee]

itma
He's right...I noticed that ages ago.
It's here http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/unitenewspaper.html

A queenless or weak colony may be united with another. Put the weaker colony on top of the stronger one. Many texts will tell you to kill the least desirable queen in one of the two groups to be united, but I find it is often prudent to leave both queens, so that the bees can make the choice, in most cases the younger and fitter queen remains, but there may be subtle things in a queen's make up that the bees are better able to make choices about rather than the beekeeper.



ooooops you beat me to it.

 

[alldigging]

I think this is one of the times when I would say he's talking out of his hat (unless it's the opinion of the new custodian) IMHO it's only a fool who would leave both queens fight it out. Could end up with no queen, a cripple or the worse one winning.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080515000000*/http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/ub.html

you can view old versions on there.