Uniting half a colony?

[Newbeeneil]

I help a group of beekeepers who look after bees for an educational museum. They are mostly ladies or guys of senior years so are not keen on humping full supers to great heights.
They have one hive that is full of bees and sealed brood which I am concerned may try to swarm again as it's doing so well. Today we added a 5th super to give them as much room as possible but if they fill them it will be hard for them to remove from the top of the stack.
So to my proposal.
I was wondering if I could stave off the swarming instinct and make the guys beekeeping easier by stealing the two fullest supers, plus bees, and combining over newspaper with another hive which has no supers on yet.
My thought is that this would reduce the bees in the large hive making it less likely to prepare to swarm and we could add another empty supper for a bit of extra space if needed. It would also give a boast to the smaller hive.
Before anyone asks why not just extract, they tend only to extract once a season and don't normally get a hive with 5 supers.
I've never seen this sort of thing suggested before but it seems a reasonable way to go ........ but then I've only been at this nutty hobby for 4 years now!!!
Thanks guys

 

[Murox]

Well thats a new one.
If they honey is capped in the super and ready to extract either extract it or store it for later. You can put the full frames in another 'box' if they need the physical super to reuse.

Is this hive on single or double brood?

 

[Beefriendly]

Before anyone asks why not just extract, they tend only to extract once a season and don't normally get a hive with 5 supers.

Perhpas it's time this was changed. Capped supers reduce space and are of no use for the bee any more. If there is any rape honey in then they won't get to extract it as it will have set solid.
If they are determined to only extract once a year, clear supers and stick in shed until ready....adding more empty supers.

On space issue sounds fine, but why not add second brood box depending on space queen has to lay in.

 

[For want of a better word]

I help a group of beekeepers who look after bees for an educational museum. They are mostly ladies or guys of senior years so are not keen on humping full supers to great heights.
They have one hive that is full of bees and sealed brood which I am concerned may try to swarm again as it's doing so well. Today we added a 5th super to give them as much room as possible but if they fill them it will be hard for them to remove from the top of the stack.
So to my proposal.
I was wondering if I could stave off the swarming instinct and make the guys beekeeping easier by stealing the two fullest supers, plus bees, and combining over newspaper with another hive which has no supers on yet.
My thought is that this would reduce the bees in the large hive making it less likely to prepare to swarm and we could add another empty supper for a bit of extra space if needed. It would also give a boast to the smaller hive.
Before anyone asks why not just extract, they tend only to extract once a season and don't normally get a hive with 5 supers.
I've never seen this sort of thing suggested before but it seems a reasonable way to go ........ but then I've only been at this nutty hobby for 4 years now!!!
Thanks guys

No reason why not.... may be easier to remove the full supers and store them, put them in a freezer for 24 hours or you may have the dreaded waxy moff eating their hard work!

Chons da

 

[beeno]

Rather than messing about is it not easier to just extract and be done. Five supers for that age group of hobby beekeeps not a good idea IMHO. They will end up not inspecting!

 

[Newbeeneil]

I take on board all your points and agree with most.
My actual question was whether it would be feasible to do as I suggested as moving the supers and bees to a smaller colony would be a very simple way of
1. Storing the supers for the next month or so.
2. Reducing the swarming instinct.
3. Boosting the strength of the smaller colony.
Now if it was down to me I would be extracting but as I said they do it once at the end the summer as they only want to hire the extractor once.
Storage off a hive is not really possible as they have no clean building in which to keep the supers.

From what has been said it would appear that there has be no negatativity regarding the idea just suggestions of better ways to approach the problem.

As I said if it was down to me I would extract but then I would also inspect more regularly and clip the queens but these may take longer to achieve with this group.

 

[Murox]

I think you should allow these folk to read the comments your post generated. Then ask them what they propose rather than expecting you to solve things when there are better ways.

 

[eltalia]

Given the circumstance the concept holds merit, I'd only attack it differently.
For the target colony(s) add an extra empty super and move up into it those
stores frames (2) from the BC, adding new frames (2) to the extents of the BC.
Place one super of capped stores with bees on top, newsprint under.
For the parent repeat the added super manipulation leaving what capped
stores can be safely manually handled.
Be aware that where flows are on this may only buy you a fortnight for
a strong colony whereon backfilling of BCs may begin.
All put in presumption a QX is in place on all stacks.

Help?

Bill

 

[beeno]

A lot of work for you in order to save them some in the short term. Teach them proper beekeeping! They can leave the summer flow for winter stores.

 

[eltalia]

A lot of work for you in order to save them some in the short
term. Teach them proper beekeeping!

A stint tutoring folk doing U3A might help you with
understanding requests as the OP faces.
https://seniorsenquiryline.com.au/services/university-of-the-third-age-brisbane/

Not forgetting "proper beekeeping" is subjective - views
expressed in some advices posted as "help" being as
remote from "beekeeping" as the UK is from leaving the EU..!

/slow clap/



Bill

 

[beeno]

A stint tutoring folk doing U3A might help you with
understanding requests as the OP faces.
https://seniorsenquiryline.com.au/services/university-of-the-third-age-brisbane/

Not forgetting "proper beekeeping" is subjective - views
expressed in some advices posted as "help" being as
remote from "beekeeping" as the UK is from leaving the EU..!

/slow clap/



Bill

Part of tutoring IMHO is that you do the right thing by the bees and in this case the retired members of the community. It is not in the interest of the retirees to have a stack of 5 supers. Powers of persuasion will be required for the retirees, but the bees of course have no say. Most of the queries on this forum and others are to do with manipulations gone wrong. I have for seven years looked after someone with early stages of dementia, so excuse me if I find the U3A reference patronising.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Beeno,
I just skip though Bill's posts as I can make no sense of the language...........

 

[eltalia]

Beeno,
I just skip though Bill's posts as I can make no sense of the language...........

Yet you are quite happy to respond to a comnent
joining Dementia and U3A - interesting, to say the least.

Bill

 

[maddydog]

Yet you are quite happy to respond to a comnent
joining Dementia and U3A - interesting, to say the least.

Bill

Might have touch of the damnesia yourself there Bill. It was beeno who took offense.

/big hugs/

 

[eltalia]

Might have touch of the damnesia yourself there Bill. It was beeno who took offense.

/big hugs/

/sigh/