bee adoption

[FordGuy]

I tried something new and wanted to share the results with you guys.

I had a struggling nuc. I had a booming monster hive that I had decided to de-queen and split. (agressive and way to large, to boot)

I removed the large hive, and put the nuc in it's place for one day. I did the switch in the middle of the day, so returning field bees would enter the nuc.

The field bees returned, and entered the nuc I had placed where their old hive had been.

next day, I moved the nuc back to it's original place.

Adopted bees stayed with the nuc. daily checks since then have shown the nuc's queen is fine, the nuc is loaded with bees to the extent they are bearding. (haha, better than I expected).

Stragglers. I'd say most if not all of the deployed field force was adopted into the nuc. when I moved it, 70 percent stayed with the nuc in it's new location. I placed another nuc there to adopt the remaining 30 percent.

hope this helps someone.

[Chef Isaac]

That is an interesting concept and not talked about too much for the benefit side of it.

I should do that with some of my weaker hives in place with some of my booming hives. Great for packages I would think.

I suppose you should do this only when it is really nice out opposed to when it is cold and rainy eh?

I love this forum!

[honeyman46408]

I did that with a nuc once and the returning bees did away with the queen :(

[TwT]

I have done this with weak hive's, put the weak hive were a strong hive was (traded places) but I left them traded and the weak hive in about a week was just about as strong...

[Bizzybee]

Dang Honeyman, that would be my luck!! Still, something to consider though. I usually just soak a frame of bees with syrup and put em in the weak hive. Hasn't caused a problem so far. Knock on wood!!

[Chef Isaac]

I think I need to do that. I have some packages that are weak (which is sad really).

should you move them when it is nice out to capture the field force that is away or do it in the morning or on a rainy day so the outgoing field force will just fly right to the nuc or weak hive????

[peggjam]

I do this when it is nice and the field bees are flying. When they return the go into the nuc or weak hive, and are readily accepted by the guard bees.