[A_Bee_Guy]

I have a hive that has gone queenless, and the bee population is now dwindling. Earlier this year, I split this hive, and that split is doing very well.

Would I be able to just combine these two hives without the newspaper? I will be moving the hives more than two miles to another bee yard, so drift will not be a problem.

 

[crazylocha]

24-36 hours after you originally split them, original queen smell disappated.

Use newspaper. Its easy. Be real sure to check frames of weak hive for ANY sign of larvae/eggs.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[A_Bee_Guy]

Do I slit the newspaper, or not?

 

[crazylocha]

My deepest apologies, yes, 2 or 3 quick taps of your hive tool in same direction as your lowrr frames. Gives enough air for smells to get through for them to adjust. Dont need big tears, just small slits. If it takes them 24 to 36 hours to chew threw, about perfect

Let us know how it goes.

 

[A_Bee_Guy]

OK, I appreciate the help. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks!

 

[Intheswamp]

I recently did a newspaper combine with a small queenright colony and a larger queenless colony. The only other time I've done one I put slits in the paper. This time, though I was talking with my mentor before doing the combine and he said he never put slits in the paper so I didn't for this one. I inspected the combine four(?) days later...the newspaper was gone from inside the hive and the queen had kicked laying into high gear. Apparently there are enough pheromones that pass through a sheet of newspaper to accomplish their task plus with a solid sheet it gives the bees a little more time to "get to know" each other.

Ed

 

[A_Bee_Guy]

Here in South Carolina it gets hot. I attempted a combine a couple years ago, and I didn't put slits in the newspaper. The next day, I found that the bees were carrying dead bees out all day. It appears that the bees on top of the newspaper were trapped and got overheated before they could chew their way through.

Do I need to give the bees a top entrance to avoid this occurrence? That way both hives have a way to go in and out.

 

[Intheswamp]

Bee Guy, it gets pretty hot down here in south Alabama, too. My hives are out in full sun all day long. In the past I've made "shade" for them by cutting large squares of thick cardboard that extended past the edges of the top cover by probably 8-10 inches. I stapled wooden strips to them for support and placed these over the hives. I've leaned boards against the west side of the hives for additional shading in the hot afternoons.

What I did with this last combine was simply placed an addtional top cover over the normal top cover...it was sitting kinda crooked and all of that, but it provided shade. I figure the bees were through the newspaper in a day...I combined in the afternoon and the temperature was probably in the upper seventies to mid-eighties.

I'm sorry to hear about your dead bees...what kind of temperature were you working in?

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[A_Bee_Guy]

Ed,

I believe it was in the 90's at the time. The trapped bees got cooked.

 

[A_Bee_Guy]

These two hives are about 8' apart. Would it work if I did the combine in the same bee yard? I really don't want to move them unless it's necessary. I would like to just take the two boxes from the weak hive and place them on top of the other hive that's 8' away.

What do you think? Would that work out, or should I move both hives and combine them in another bee yard that's more than 2 miles away?

 

[Intheswamp]

Cooked bees sound nasty. I've heard they throw up everywhere.

My last combine was over a distance of maybe twelve feet. I noticed immediately afterwards that a few foragers were orienting on the empty stand. The colony they belonged to was a small colony so there weren't a lot of foragers to begin with. There was a fairly strong colony on either side of where the foragers were orienting. I looked back later that night and there was no bees clustered on the old stand. I wouldn't think the foragers found there way to the old colony that was being combined but rather were absorbed into those two neighboring hives.

I don't think it will matter very much. The foragers will find somewhere to go, any nurse or young bees should stay put. But, I'm a newbie, take that for what it's worth!

Ed

 

[A_Bee_Guy]

Thanks!

OK, the combine went flawlessly. Unlike the last combine I did, I did not have to watch my bees carrying the dead out all day long. In fact, there was only one bee on the landing board all day today.

Yesterday, I did have bees flying around the old location (8' away), but by today, they had dissipated.

Thanks to all who gave wise counsel. I do appreciate your tech support.