Equalizing question

[RHBee]

What is the method of equalizing hives. What are the benefits? When is the right time?

[BeeMaster2]

1 way is to take a brood frame from a strong hive and give it to a weak hive, add smoke to allow them time to adjust without knowing/smelling that there a new bees in the hive.
Another way is to swap the position of the weak hive and the strong hive. Returning workers go back to the original location. If the hives are originally side by side and look totally different, the bees will not be fooled. They will pile up at the old location and then find there old hive. If they are at least 5-6' apart they will probable go to the new hive. Ask me how I know this?  :-D
Jim

[yelnifok]

I'll bite- how do toy know this?  :? :-D

[BeeMaster2]

That just means that I have done this and watched the results.
One hive I moved about 6 ft and placed a new queen with very few workers and very weak brood patterns for the previous fall-winter. The field bees returned to it and filled it up. I had added 4 drawn frames and the Q filled every empty cell in every frame with edge to edge brood and produced 150 pounds of honey that year.
I moved/slid, it was heavy, a hive with 3 supers to the right about 30 inches and placed a week hive in its place and the bees were not fooled due to the difference in hives and quickly found there own hive.
I moved a strong hive about 6 ft and did not place another hive and the returning bees piled up at the old location for a while and then found their hive. For the next 3 weeks my buddy and I would watch as the old returning bees would go to the old location and then do an S shaped flight and go to their hive. It was pretty funny.
Jim