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Author Topic: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination  (Read 2670 times)

Offline Two Bees

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Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« on: September 05, 2010, 08:31:45 pm »
I combined a very weak hive (less than one deep) with one of my strongest hives on Friday.  I separated the hives with two sheets of newspaper (Gardening Section, I think) and put 5-6 slits in the newspaper.

I don't think the combination went very well though.........there was a PILE of dead bees in front of the hive the next day!   :'(

Thoughts on what may have happened?

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Offline bassman1977

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2010, 08:42:42 pm »
Define a pile...hundreds?  Thousands?  It could have gotten hot and killed some of the bees off and that is what you saw.  If it is a good bit of bees...then it is possible there was a fight inside the hive.  If that is the case, I'd check to see if the queen wasn't killed. I've done a bunch of combines using this method, even using one sheet of newspaper, I never saw evidence of a war.
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Offline hardwood

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2010, 08:57:25 pm »
Did you leave a top entrance too?

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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2010, 09:18:04 pm »
were there queens in both hives?
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Offline greenbtree

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2010, 09:56:47 pm »
I had a similar experience in Spring - combined a weak hive with strong.  I was fairly sure weak hive had no queen.  The next day bees were being thrown out the front of the hive.  Saw some still  wrestling with each other.  I thought maybe one sheet of newspaper wasn't enough and they didn't have time to adapt to each others smell before they combined.  Maybe 5 or 6 slits in the paper was overdoing it?  I'm about to combine two hives that were from a swarm and a cutout this summer.  They both requeened, but when I checked them today one had apparently lost it's queen and is now very small.  I'm going to make sure the top hive has a top entrance - I think that might also been part of the reason my Spring combine failed also.

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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2010, 10:33:00 pm »
you must have the top entrance.  i do combinations now with a window screen.  i like it better than the newspaper.  the bees are kept apart, but the smells mix.  in a couple of days i pull the screen and all is well.  it's also insurance if you are not very sure that one hive is queenless. it gives you a last chance to check for the queen.
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Offline iddee

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2010, 11:47:56 pm »
I use 1 sheet and poke 1 hole with my hive tool. I may or may not leave a top entrance. If I do, it's when it is hot and I do so for ventilation.
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Offline Two Bees

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2010, 10:50:07 am »
I removed the queen before I combined.  Not hard to find her since I only had 2-3 frames to look through.  Put her in a jar.

No top entrance; just the newspaper.  Nothing that I have read about newspaper combining mentioned a top entrance.  Thought about using a double screen board but decided against it.

Pile = several hundred.......maybe a thousand.  Keeping a watch on what I see in front of my hives is something that I always check.  You can get an idea as to what's going on inside based upon what they are throwing away!

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Offline JP

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #8 on: September 06, 2010, 12:18:42 pm »
I have always combined with a single sheet of newspaper. I like to spray both sides with sugar water and I make several slits.

I smoke both colonies before combining.

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Online Michael Bush

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Re: Something Went Wrong with Newspaper Combination
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2010, 05:47:56 pm »
I agree I'd smoke them both and make a small slit in the newspaper (not a large slit) and I'd make sure both halves have an entrance for ventilation.  Sometimes a newspaper combine does go bad and they fight, but all of these will help.
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