combining hives

[Lanier74]

I have a question on making a combine for the winter. I have a very weak hive that is only working about 5-6 frames of 10 and do not seem to be building up very good at all. It has a new queen that is laying well but just not building in numbers or putting up stores even with feeding. I have a second very storng hive that is 2 hive bodies and a medium super deep, all three with about 5-6 frames of brood and 3-4 frames of stores in each. I was considering just taking the medium super, bees and all and doing a newspaper combine with the weaker hive so as to give them plenty of bees, larva and capped brood to boost the numbers quick. As long as I make sure the queen is not in the medium super should this work and leaving the stong hive with 2 hive bodies should be fine as long? Thanks

[RayMarler]

Yes, that combine should work. Make sure you have good pollen stores in each resulting hive as well as the nectar.

[Ben Brewcat]

That should be fine and is normally a good idea. But the broader point is why do you thing you have a strong queen if they aren't building up? Maybe she was poorly mated. Is there a good capped brood pattern or just good egg pattern? If they've had a good shot this season (like this isn't a young split) but they're languishing nonetheless, I'd just combine them with the big hive for overwintering and re-split in spring.

I'd say figure out why they aren't building up before you put a lot of effort into the colony; if there's an underlying problem just adding more bees is unlikely to fix it.

[Lanier74]

Thanks for the advise. Yes, the hive was a late split and a new queen. I am pretty sure the queen is good because they are building slowly but I want to make sure they are strong come winter and want to make sure I start building them in time. She has a good laying pattern and decent brood pattern. I have been having problems with small hive beetles in the hive that I have slowly gotten under control or at least gotten the numbers down some. The hive I plan on taking the bees from is a very aggressive hive and I hope the aggressive bees I add will also help control the pest. I have some frames with pollen stored in them that I plan on giving them as well as pollen patties along with sugar water to help both build up good for winter.