Add brood from strong hive to weak hive?

[EOHenry]

I captured a small swarm 2 weeks ago and there are still not alot of bees coming and going from it.  Can I add 1 frame of brood from each of my 2 strong hives to the brood box of the small swarm.  If I do, should I shake off all the nurse bees from them or leave them on? Will they fight with the bees in the new brood box? Where should I put them in the new box?  Together, or separate from each other and around whatever is in the small box?
Thanx!
Henry

[Finsky]

Take a brood frame, where bees are emerging ut. So you get rapid aid for small hive. One frame of brood produces 3 frames bees.  It is usefull if you get whole box full of bees. If you give 2 frames, it is good. It needs any more.  You get a good hive for winter. But your honey yield sufers. If you give one brood frame, it is enouhg this time of year. You can help it with broods in late summer when yield is over.

It takes about 4 weeks to swarm that it can enlarge egg laying. Brood fame is good.

[Rabbitdog]

I do this quite regularly in the spring, especially when making increase.  The nurse bees on the frame always go with the brood.  I've never seen any problems.  Obviously, you must make sure that the queen from the donor colony is not on the frame that you take.  I always assumed that a weak colony would need the extra bees anyway, to help take care of the additional brood but as always, I yield to the more experienced folks out thar!

[Finsky]

The nurse bees on the frame always go with the brood.  I've never seen any problems.  Obviously, you must make sure that the queen from the donor colony is not on the frame that you take.  I always assumed that a weak colony would need the extra bees anyway, to help take care of the additional brood but as always, I yield to the more experienced folks out thar!

Yes but.... If you leave bees on the frame, thay can attach on new queen. At autumn this is usual.

When you put bees into another hive, they return to their original hive. Some come later and if they have foreign odor, they will be killed.

I cannot see advantace enough to move bees with frame.  Only few will stay in new hive.  I have done this 40 years. If hive is weak, foreign bees attach easily on queen.

Every late summer I join 2 frame nucs to one box hives, and if I am not carefull, they kill the queen with 90% insuarance. In the middle of summer things are otherwise.

[Barnabus]

Hi;
I have this situation right now inaddition the strong hive has robbed about 50% of food supply.
If I shake the bees off the frames I intend to add to the weak hive will there be enough nurse bees to cover the additional brood.
I thaugh I would add nurse bees with brood and a frame of honey/pollen.
Would the newspaper method work if I leave the new brood frame and the new honey frame closed inside a extra hive box for 24 hourd. I have read somewhere that is all the time it takes for the bees to recognize that they do not have a queen. I am also moving the hive about 5 miles from the aoriginal place.
Comments please as I want to do this in the morning

[Michael Bush]

I suppose if the frame was from a hot strong hive it might help to shake it off.  I never do.  I just put it in and watch for a few seconds to see what ensues and then smoke them a bit (for added confusion) and put the lid on.

[Finsky]

Hi;


In your case I should do that.  I am just today going to do tricks to my some hives.

I have  a big hive, which is going to swarm. It has weak brood area. I put bees to work on rape field. I disperse the hive and give bees to 3 another hives.

I have allready too weak hives on rapefield and they need stronger colony. Rapefield is over 3 miles distance and bees do not return.

ALTERNATIVE ONE:

I take a box full of bees and I put a steel mesh for transport at evening. They are without queen over night. Next morming I move them to rapefiled and just put on the existing hive without paper. They can go to frowers in next minute if they want.

If queen is valuable and I just put colonies together, I may put the queen under little box of steel mesh against combs. But in this case when I however change the queen, I do not care and I join them right away.

If bees are even measure when you join hem, they will not fight. But if you put one frame bees to 10 frames, it is usual that 10 frames identify enemies and kill them. That it why, it is better to take emerging brood.

BUT I DO ALSO THIS. this is better:

Bees may be  really nervous if you transport them without queen. They boil in the box.

 Just before transport, I take tha box of bees and put them under the transport mesh.  

OR IF QUEEN IS NOT VALUABLE I join them right away. If they kill the queen I wait that emergy cells are cappep and then I give a better queen. It seldom happens.

ALSO THIS to add honey collectors:

I take one box of extracted frames. I put them on the top of  the big hive.  Bees suck honey. After 2 hours I take he box and carry to place and join them right away to another hive. Bees are nervous and full of honey and they are accepted easily to new hive.

This is easy in summer, but when I collect hives to my home yard at autumn, they easily kill queen in these case. In  summer it is seldom and I am able to give new queen if they kill it.

My goal is to make 5-6 box hives for rapefield, and I join hives that I meet that collecting power.  After that fireweed starts to bloom.

Just now first rapefields or canola are blooming.  Fireweed will be in full bloom  about 10.7.

After one month our honey summer is over.

[Finsky]

I suppose if the frame was from a hot strong hive it might help to shake it off.  I never do. I just put it in and watch for a few seconds to see what ensues and then smoke them a bit (for added confusion) and put the lid on.

If you transport it over 3 miles, Michael's trick is really good. I use this very often.

But if you want that bees collect honey in new place it is better to give whole box of bees.