Help with hives

[MisterSteve124]

Upon inspection today I found that one of my hives is declining in population and there is no queen, or eggs :cry::s. Our other hive has plenty of eggs in the lower hive body and there are plenty of bees, but on the second hive body there is only honey, just like it's a honey super. Since our other hive seems like it is beyond the point of return, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to take the hive body from the hive that is almost dead with some bees and a little honey in it and put it on top of the hive body on the hive that is going strong. The only problem with this is one hive is Russian bees and the other hive is Italians. Now do you think this is a good idea? I'm hoping that the bees will establish the second hive body and the queen will lay eggs in there. Please tell me if this will work, this is my second year trying to get a hive going and I really want to have a strong hive going into winter. Thanks for your help in advance

[bobbees]

The two types should be OK. I have combined several different kinds after catching small swarms or other situations similar to yours.

Set the weak deep on top of the stronger one with a sheet of news paper in between. Prop the other cover up enough to allow the top box an entrance. After a couple of days they should be through the paper and hopefully by then they will be getting along. Just make extra sure there is no queen in the weak hive. They could end up killing each other.

[MisterSteve124]

Ok would you aggree that its probably too late to requeen the other hive? By putting a frame of eggs in there? If it is then I'll just combine them like you said.

[devdog108]

You could try to add a frame of brood and see if they will raise their own. Queenless, they almost seem lethargic and non aggrssive...IMHO. I woudl try that first. Giveem a fram eof hoey and brood!

[MisterSteve124]

I might do that, but the only thing I was thinking was, by the time they start raising a new queen, it hatches and then starts laying eggs i figure it would be too late and the workers would have died, and it would take too long for the hive to build in numbers before winter.

[devdog108]

Yeah, Being in PA, I see what you mean. Do the combine, then split in the spring.....

[MisterSteve124]

ok sounds good, I did the split I'll let you guys now how the newspaper method turned out :)