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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Tightwad on October 11, 2013, 10:20:06 AM

Title: Come binding hives
Post by: Tightwad on October 11, 2013, 10:20:06 AM
Yesterday I found my one of my hives had no queen and no brud or eggs and not many  bees.  So I comebind the two hives using papper. I dent have a top internee for the weaker hive. I think I just killed a lot of bees. They where fighting for a long time. I came out at dusk and all was quite and all the bees where in the hive. Now this morning I see that they are taking out dead bees like crazy. I think I did it wrong ???  I was wandering if I mite of put the queen in the good hive in danger ?
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: millipede on October 11, 2013, 10:40:14 AM
I use the newspaper method for combining hives. I take the top off one hive and lay a sheet of news paper of the brood box. I then place the new box on top of the paper. The bees will acclimate to each other as they chew through the paper.
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: Jim134 on October 11, 2013, 11:29:19 AM
Quote from: Tightwad on October 11, 2013, 10:20:06 AM
Yesterday I found my one of my hives had no queen and no brud or eggs and not many  bees.  So I comebind the two hives using papper. I dent have a top internee for the weaker hive. I think I just killed a lot of bees. They where fighting for a long time. I came out at dusk and all was quite and all the bees where in the hive. Now this morning I see that they are taking out dead bees like crazy. I think I did it wrong ???  I was wandering if I mite of put the queen in the good hive in danger ?
Are you absolutely sure there was no queen a hive :roll:

I do this time the year in New England you may not see any brood or eggs.



                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: iddee on October 11, 2013, 12:28:51 PM
Did you punch holes in the newspaper? It sounds like you punched too many holes and too big. They got together too quick. I only punch one small knife slit in the paper. Just enough to give them a start.
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: Tightwad on October 11, 2013, 02:00:15 PM
I did poke holes in the papper I'm thinking because there was no intrans on the top that the forageing bees came back and then the Fighting   was own. Boy there's a lot of dead bees out side of the hive. But they are taking the dead away from my yard.
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: Jim134 on October 11, 2013, 02:48:24 PM
And other thing that will help you is to spray sugar water on the top of the bottom box and on the bottom of the top box the bees.   And I always put the queen right one on the top. This works well for me. Like iddee said I only within 2 or 3 half inch slices in the paper.




                             BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: RayMarler on October 12, 2013, 12:29:24 AM
It sounds to me like both hives had their own queens when you joined them.
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: T Beek on October 13, 2013, 07:57:24 AM
When combining I generally don't poke any holes into the paper, but I do soak it down w/ sugar water to encourage their interest.  In 24 hours all is usually good.

I also agree;  It is very possible that you combined two queens....based on the behavior described.
Title: Re: Come binding hives
Post by: Tightwad on October 13, 2013, 08:45:05 AM
Thanks for your kind replays I have a lot to learn. I just hope I dent harm my queen!!!!  Boy it's hard razing bees I'm going to my beekeeping meetings and I'm reading a lot. I'm going to take a neather beginner class again. I want to do things right. This is two hives I have lost so far but I'm not going to stop caring for bees this is a learning thing. I do have a couple menders and I'm going to do the best for the my bees.