[jajtiii]

I have a July swarm that appears to have lost their queen (or I maybe killed it by accident.) I want to combine them with a split that I did back in June.

The weather is in the mid- to high-90's here and will be for the foreseeable future.

On Wednesday, I will go back out to confirm that the queen is gone from this swarm. If it is, I was going to take a sheet of newspaper and place it over the split, then placing the failing swarm above that.

My question is this: Since it is so hot, I am worried that I will bake them. Would it be advisable to place an imrie shim, with the opening facing the opposite direction from the bottom hive, between the newspaper and the failing swarm. This would effectively give them a little area to fan/ventilate while I wait for them to combine.

Thanks,

jones

 

[D Coates]

Jones,

I've had the same concerns when doing a newspaper combine in the dead of summer. What I did with success is to leave them a hole to the outside so they can come and go as needed, with newspaper (perferated by a capping scratcher) or a paper towel separating the respective hives. I've not had them overheat and they get through the paper and combine in the same amount of time. I've done it with no problems at least 5 times.

 

[Troy]

For me I just use a traveling top screen.

My hives have a screen bottom board so the bottom box gets it ventilation from the bottom. I place the newspaper on top then the top box and top screen, the the cover.

In this way they both have plenty of ventilation, but the bees have to combine and get along in order to get out the door.

i just leave the top screen in place for a few days then come back and take it off.