Over the last couple of weeks I have come into possesion (swarms, cutouts, bees in tree) of 4 small groups of bees. Each having maybe 2000 bees or so. Only one likely has a queen (will check 2 tomorrow and just picked up 1 tonight that I am 99.9% sure I didnt get the queen). They are in nuc boxes. Should I move them to boxes and do a newspaper combine? Can I do all 4 at once or should I let two at a time get used to each other?
Do them all at once and you probably won't even need the newspaper. When combining more than 2, they don't fight near as much as combining just 2.
This is interesting Iddee.
How do you combine all these different hives?? Just dump them all together in one super??
Open all 4 and start placing frames in a 8 or 10 frame box. They get confused when there is more than one smell and think they are the intruders, rather than the protectors.
OK great information. I know when I combined my 2 swarms last week there was so much fighting, I remember you mentioned here they would calm down in 48 hours and that is exactly what happened.