Uniting in Beehaus/Dartingtin

[Minxpinx]

I'm after a bit of advice please, as I've never done this before.

I did an AS at the beginning of May and I'm waiting for the new queen to start laying. I spotted her last week, so I'm hoping that laying will start soon.

I'd like to combine the 2 colonies back together if/when she has established a decent brood. Is it simply a matter of removing the old queen and removing the central board? Or is there a better way?

Thanks.

 

[Minxpinx]

I mean Dartington of course...

 

[Minxpinx]

Can anyone help with this?

 

[Essexgary]

Hi There - I have a beehaus and have done this successfully before. Yes find the old queen and remove. put newspaper in between the two colonies (my beehause central board has a small section of plastic which can be removed and then I stick newspaper over the gap and put the central board back in - add some small holes in the paper. Then leave alone. You may want to remove some of the outer frames once the colonies have combined - just to reduce the number of frames in the new single colony. I didn't do this the first time i did it and ended up with a colony of 17 frames! too much to manage and the queen looked exhausted. haa haa.

Good luck
Gary

 

[Rich0909]

Not used a long hive but would think that just removing the divider will cause significant fighting. In a vertical hive you would unite through newspaper to allow colony odours to mingle - you could perhaps make a new divider with a hollow center and cover the hole with fine mesh and leave for a few days before removing or cover the hole with paper to achieve the same ends?

Rich

 

[Minxpinx]

Thanks very much, I'll do the newspaper thing.

 

[pargyle]

Personnally I would take the queen you want to remove and put her in a Nuc with a couple of frames of brood/stores and some bees - you then have your insurance in place. You can keep them and let them grow into a useful colony which you can either keep for yourself or sell once they get established.

As for combining, once one of the queens has gone and with the size of the Dartington you should be OK just removing the divider and letting them get on with it, it's what Robin Dartington usually does - however, a sheet of newspaper taped across the divider once the insert has come out will probably leave you less concerned about a hive war !!