[JoeMcc]

Im having issues with a combine. A couple weeks ago I caught 2 after swarms from the same hive and put them together. After about 24 hours I found the virgin queen and killed her. I then added a nuc on top separated with newspaper. A war broke out and there was about a half pound of bees on the ground in the morning. So we looked for the queen and could not find her. I decided to build this hive up and try adding another NUC over a couple layers of newspaper. A war broke out again and there are dead bees everywhere. After 2 days i took a peak and found the queen balled up. Sometimes things just dont go right. BTW...this is the second time in the last few years that this has happened. Crazy!

JoeMcc

 

[Curtis]

Why did you kill the virgin queen?

 

[kiwiBee]

Hi JoeMcc,
If there were 2 after swarms you probably would have had 2 virgins.
I'm wondering how many sheets of newspaper you had between them we use 4 most times unless there's not alot of bees. it's that real slow combine that you need.
Also seem to combine better if there's a bit of a flow on.

But then again best laid plans of bees and man! :scratch:
kiwi

 

[isensiman]

when i combine hives like you did i just spray both colonies with a diluted mixture of sugar and water and apply in a mist, a clean spray can normally does the trick.

 

[JoeMcc]

Why did you kill the virgin queen?

Because the swarms were not big enough to make it. So, I joined them with a NUC to increase chance of survival. Also I would rather have a laying and proven queen in the hive.

JoeMcc

 

[JoeMcc]

.......2 virgins.
how many sheets of newspaper
kiwi

I suppose it's possible to have 2 virgin queens. That's why i waited 24 hours though. I assumed the 2 queens would have fought it out by then. I also suppose that acceptance would be greater if one of the hives were queenless. I used 2 sheets of newspaper. Ive heard of forgetting about the newspaper and misting down the 2 hives with thin syrup with lemon grass oil. Would this be called a "hot combine"?

JoeMcc

 

[zavron]

Hello 2 everybody !!!!!!!!!!
I am proffesional bee-keeper and looking for some job on bee-keeping??
I can manage almost 150 beehives !
Thanks for assisting !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BEES4U]

Zavron,
The forum has this section for your seeking help posting.

http://www.beesource.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=288

Good luck,
Ernie

 

[Adrian Quiney WI]

So what's the concensus? Why would a newspaper combine not work? I did 2 last year and they worked. Adrian.

 

[NY_BLUES]

I did 1 this year, one queenless hive, nice black bees, and 1 queen right, Itailians. It didnt go to well, and most of the bees from the queenless hive were killed. I am not to sure why, but it happens, sometimes things just dont work the way I would like them too.

 

[Michael Bush]

Smoke is a very helpful thing in these situations. Newspaper combines work almost all the time. But I have seen them fail.

 

[JoeMcc]

Well... we went back in to take a look. Balled queen in the top and a balled virgin in the bottom. I sprayed all the bees down with syrup with a little lemon grass mixed in. The balled virgin appeared dead. So anyway... we sprayed them good and closed them up. I will check back next week to see whats left for a queen and look for eggs. If no sign of one I think I will give them a frame of young larvae and eggs and let them raise a new queen.

Which leads me to the next question. Will a hive ball their own queen to protect her from the other hive.

JoeMcc

 

[Michael Bush]

Smoke, in my experience, is much more successful.

 

[mike haney]

"...Will a hive ball their own queen to protect her from the other hive.."
balling is an act of aggression,not defence. good luck,mike

 

[Michael Bush]

I have heard they will ball a queen to protect her. In my experience though, it always looks like agression, not defense...