I am expecting a couple of packages in early May. My existing hive is doing well and has several frames of brood of various ages. (This hive is in the process of moving to natural cell and recently had the hive bodies swapped and the upper deep filled with PF100. ) Is there any benefit or detriment to stealing a frame or two of brood from the exiting hive and putting it in the packaged hives? Would the help it might lend the package be offset by the harm to the existing hive?
>Would the help it might lend the package be offset by the harm to the existing hive?
That depends on the strength of the existing hive. If it's booming, you probably won't even notice the difference. If it's struggling or not very big, it will make a big difference.
I have no frame of reference for booming or struggling having never seen either. That said, a couple of weeks ago I opened the hive to do the spring inspection, install new frames, SBB, etc. I saw a lot of honey, but I didn't think there were a lot of bees. All easily fit in one deep. An added bonus was that they were quite gentle. Perhaps I will wait and let the packages go on their own. I do have one full medium full of honey that I could give to the new packages instead of syrup. If I do this, should I put three to four frames of honey in a medium box and fill the rest of the box with foundationless frames? I would think honey beets syrup, but I have two hive top feeders if syrup is the better option.
Two deeps packed with bees is booming. One deep with three frames of bees is not. :) Everything else is something in between.