Combining Hives

[Chad S]

I have a hive that swarmed in the begining of June.  They left behind two deeps of capped brood and some capped queen cells.  I was going to re-queen, but took the advise that the swarm queens that would emerge would be good, and let them do their thing.  I went back in 4 days after the swarm, and noticed that some of the queens had hatched, and left a few queen cells in for good measure.  I then put Ross Rounds on figuring it was some what like a cut down split, and with all the brood that was going to emerge I would get the bees to work the comb.  Well they ended up making the upper deep completely honey bound.  At this point I have seen no evidence of a queen in the hive.  Rather than AssUme that there was no queen I thought she might not of had space to lay which could be why I haven't seen anything yet.  I put another deep of drawn comb in above the bottom deep, and below a medium of foundation with the deep of un cured honey above that.  My hope is that when I go back in this weekend the deep of drawn comb will be all laid out with eggs from a fat swarm queen.  If not I have a small hive with a decent queen that I would like to combine with the hive that seems to be queen less.

My question is.  Do I add the hive with the queen in it to the one with out, or the other way around.  Also any tricks to the news paper method?  Is there a better method?

Chad

[Michael Bush]

>Well they ended up making the upper deep completely honey bound. At this point I have seen no evidence of a queen in the hive.

How long since the queens emerged?  Two weeks?  Three weeks?  Four weeks?  She won't lay for two weeks.  She should be laying for sure in three.  If she's not laying in four they are queenless or she is unable to fly.  It's possible she flew out to mate and hit the windshield of a car on the way back or got snatched up by a dragonfly or a swallow.

>Rather than AssUme that there was no queen I thought she might not of had space to lay which could be why I haven't seen anything yet.

They will clear a space for her to lay.

>My question is. Do I add the hive with the queen in it to the one with out, or the other way around.

It really doesn't matter.  I'd add the weaker oen to the stronger one just because more bees already know they live there.

> Also any tricks to the news paper method?

In the summer heat, I try to make sure they both have an entrance so they don't suffacate or die from heat.  I put one sheet of newspaper.  You can cut a small slit or two or not.  It doesn't really matter much.

> Is there a better method?

That's about as good as any method.


Chad

[ConfedMarine]

I have used newspaper twice and both times went well. I kept a strong hive on the verge of swarming from doing so, while strenghtening two weaker hives. I poked several holes in the paper.

[Chad S]

Thanks Michael,

Dragon Fly and Swallow are very likely as are Pheobe, and Mocking bird.  I wasn't sure if they would make space for her, but now that you say that it makes sence.  I wasn't sure if the Ross rounds screwed them up some how.  They swarmed on June first or so.  The other hive that swarmed the same day has brood in it.  With the second hive though there was an after swarm which I combined back a day or two later so I was pretty sure there was a queen in there.  

Thanks again I will put the two hives together, they should make a good combo.

Chad