Ok if I have to take a frame of brood and larva from a stronger hive and put it in a weaker one!!!! Do I leave the bees on that frame or smoke them all off before putting them in the weak hive?????
If I need to do this, I don't want the bees from the strong hive killing the queen in the weaker hive...
most people on here say to drop them right in. if you decide not to you can just shake them off of the frame instead of trying to smoke them.
Most of the bees on a frame of brood will be nurse bees. Their only instinct is to care for eggs and larvae.The chances of them attacking a queen in her own hive is next to zero. The only worry you should have to to be absolutely sure the queen from the donor hive isn't on the frame.
If it is a frame of capped brood, I shake or brush the bees off. That way less chance of transferring a queen and the nurse bees aren't needed. Stealing the brood is enough of a loss. If it is a frame of wet brood to a declining colony, the nurse bees will be needed to raise a quality queen as the geriatric cases in the troubled colony will be overtaxed and are needed worse as foragers.
You can also strengthen the weaker hive by swapping places with a stronger hive. Do this during mid day. The returning forging bees will return to the weaker hive boosting the population.
Steve
I went today and took a fully drawn frame with brood from the stronger hive today. I transferred in to the weaker hive...
I thing the strong hive will be fine. They have about 5 more frames of fully drawn frames with brood with them...
With any luck that will help them out. Only time will tell.....