Would like advice after unsuccessful split.
Current situation:
Hive A: this was the queen and several frames of brood from the hive that was split (originally a double brood box hive - now a single). It is very small now but growing (confirmed active queen/brood/etc)
Hive B: this was the other half of the split. Despite having eggs and lots of brood, having been moved from the original box into a box with no queen scent, they did not make a new queen (we are now 2.5 weeks post split, no eggs, no larvae, although there was a queen cell). LOTS of bees. The bottom "brood" box is not about 80% full of honey as is the one medium super that was left with them originally.
Hive C: This was a separate hive that at the time of the split attempt was a double brooder but apparently had re-queened themselves and was very weak at the time. It is now stronger and stronger than Hive A.
Hive B and C are sitting about 10 feet from each other. Hive A was removed to another location about 60 feet away (still is).
Based on this my thought was to go out around lunch one day and take Hive B and put on top of Hive A (newspaper in between) and merge the two. This strengthens Hive A. Then (and here is question 1) I want the foragers to return to Hive C, but will just having Hive B physically gone be enough or do I need to move Hive C over to the exact spot where Hive B was originally?? Or, will they go over to Hive A (which now has Hive B on top of it) even though it is 60 ft away??
Or maybe there is a better plan?? (I do not want to try buying a queen and these are the only hives that I have to work with)
thanks
Current situation:
Hive A: this was the queen and several frames of brood from the hive that was split (originally a double brood box hive - now a single). It is very small now but growing (confirmed active queen/brood/etc)
Hive B: this was the other half of the split. Despite having eggs and lots of brood, having been moved from the original box into a box with no queen scent, they did not make a new queen (we are now 2.5 weeks post split, no eggs, no larvae, although there was a queen cell). LOTS of bees. The bottom "brood" box is not about 80% full of honey as is the one medium super that was left with them originally.
Hive C: This was a separate hive that at the time of the split attempt was a double brooder but apparently had re-queened themselves and was very weak at the time. It is now stronger and stronger than Hive A.
Hive B and C are sitting about 10 feet from each other. Hive A was removed to another location about 60 feet away (still is).
Based on this my thought was to go out around lunch one day and take Hive B and put on top of Hive A (newspaper in between) and merge the two. This strengthens Hive A. Then (and here is question 1) I want the foragers to return to Hive C, but will just having Hive B physically gone be enough or do I need to move Hive C over to the exact spot where Hive B was originally?? Or, will they go over to Hive A (which now has Hive B on top of it) even though it is 60 ft away??
Or maybe there is a better plan?? (I do not want to try buying a queen and these are the only hives that I have to work with)
thanks