Uniting

[edinburghbees]

What is the best method of uniting 2 fairly weak colonies to make one bigger (and hopefully stronger and more productive) one?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Uniting two weak colonies is seldom the answer - better off uniting to a strong colony. But as for method - newspaper unite - gradually move the colonies close to each other. Select the queen you want to keep and make this the 'bottom' colony. Squish the queen in the 'top' colony put a sheet of newspaper (anything but the guardian - don't want to offend the bees) over the BB and put a QX on top make a few small holes in the centre of the paper then put the Q- colony on top, they should chew their way through in 24 hours and be one happy colony, if there is brood in the top box either wait for them to emerge before rationalising the whole setup, or if the sum total of brood is less than 112 frames, go in in a few days, consolidate the frames so you have one single BB. Simples

 

[itma]

Uniting two weak colonies is seldom the answer - better off uniting to a strong colony. But as for method - newspaper unite - gradually move the colonies close to each other. Select the queen you want to keep and make this the 'bottom' colony. Squish the queen in the 'top' colony put a sheet of newspaper (anything but the guardian - don't want to offend the bees) over the BB and put a QX on top make a few small holes in the centre of the paper then put the Q- colony on top, they should chew their way through in 24 hours and be one happy colony, if there is brood in the top box either wait for them to emerge before rationalising the whole setup, or if the sum total of brood is less than 112 frames, go in in a few days, consolidate the frames so you have one single BB. Simples

Funny hives they must have in Wales! (I'm sure he meant 11, or 12 if you really mush squash them in.)

You'll find different advice about which colony should go on top (Q+ Q- stronger, weaker …). The variability leads me to think that its not massively important.

The practical thing is that the bottom hive (with the entrance) isn't moved for the unite. Move one colony to be on top of the unmoved colony.


I set up in the afternoon (newspaper, QX (+optional coverboard) and roof) , and do the move at dusk (when everyone should be in their hive).
At dusk it is then simply a matter of uncovering the prepared QX on the unmoved hive, make a couple of tiny slashes through the paper, take the roof off the other hive, then hive tool crack the (moving) brood off its stand, and "with one simple movement" lift the moving brood and its coverboard straight onto the exposed QX. Bee jacket & veil, but no smoke needed as no bees are uncovered during the late evening part of the operation which should literally only take seconds for the lift. (OK, a no-hole coverboard may possibly help, it usually does!)

 

[alldigging]

And scrap the excess wax off the bottom of the frames going on top. Else they won't fit. And it'll be a nightmare. (If your nightmares consist of bees swirling)

 

[masterBK]

Uniting two weak colonies by exposing the occupied combs from each BB one at a time to bright sunlight before inserting them alternately in a brood box. The frames are then pushed together with a little smoke. The preferred queen is placed in a Q cage (with fondant release) and hung between two combs of brood. The unwanted queen is found and disposed off. Brother Adam used the technique I believe with much success.

 

[thebhoy]

Ah well, having just read this I now think I have screwed up my unite tonight. Q- hive on bottom then newspaper on the top without a QE and then six frames from a Q+ nuc, dummy board cover and roof.... just to cap it all I probably put too many slits in the paper and as the Q+ colony is small in bee numbers they will probably be overrun and I will lose the nice Queen.

 

[Teemore]

Ah well, having just read this I now think I have screwed up my unite tonight. Q- hive on bottom then newspaper on the top without a QE and then six frames from a Q+ nuc, dummy board cover and roof.... just to cap it all I probably put too many slits in the paper and as the Q+ colony is small in bee numbers they will probably be overrun and I will lose the nice Queen.

By no means is it guaranteed that you will lose the Q. Different beekeepers unite in different ways and even those who use the same methods have differing degrees of success..... Chill out for a few days and then go and have a look to see how the bees are managing on their own.

 

[alanf]

Ah well, having just read this I now think I have screwed up my unite tonight. Q- hive on bottom then newspaper on the top without a QE and then six frames from a Q+ nuc, dummy board cover and roof.... just to cap it all I probably put too many slits in the paper and as the Q+ colony is small in bee numbers they will probably be overrun and I will lose the nice Queen.

You will find all the variants used by somebody somewhere in the books and online. There may be small percentages different but the vast majority of unites work and there's no clear evidence which way round any variation has an advantage.

Which on top? Strong/weak or Q+/Q-? In most cases, I suspect one way round is passed on because it works when the other way would work just as well. Some use paper under a mini nuc with the bottom slide out to unite, unbalanced numbers queen in weaker hive on top, still usually works they say. QX or no QX? It's most useful to stop the paper moving. Some books say two sheets. One sheet and overlap if the paper is not wide enough. Guardian is fine incidentally and just the right size for a national box. Needle holes or slits? I've forgotten the holes and it still works. Remove one queen is reliable advice if you want to keep the other, but there are some who advocate "let them sort it out". Some say closely related colonies unite with less trouble, but that may be just selective reports reinforcing expectation.

 

[itma]

You will find all the variants used by somebody somewhere in the books and online. There may be small percentages different but the vast majority of unites work and there's no clear evidence which way round any variation has an advantage.

Which on top? Strong/weak or Q+/Q-? In most cases, I suspect one way round is passed on because it works when the other way would work just as well. Some use paper under a mini nuc with the bottom slide out to unite, unbalanced numbers queen in weaker hive on top, still usually works they say. QX or no QX? It's most useful to stop the paper moving. Some books say two sheets. One sheet and overlap if the paper is not wide enough. Guardian is fine incidentally and just the right size for a national box. Needle holes or slits? I've forgotten the holes and it still works. Remove one queen is reliable advice if you want to keep the other, but there are some who advocate "let them sort it out". Some say closely related colonies unite with less trouble, but that may be just selective reports reinforcing expectation.

You'll find different advice about which colony should go on top (Q+ Q- stronger, weaker …). The variability leads me to think that its not massively important.

 

[galileo]

Just a quick interjection - if the 24 to 48 hours after the deed is done is forecast to be hot and the hives are lacking shade, replace the top CB with a screen board or shove 4 coins under the corners to allow for some ventilation. The sight of dead bees in a soup of hot honey and wax ain't pretty. Hope it goes okay for you.