combining

AndersMNelson · March 03, 2008, 05:29:07 PM

I combined a weak hive that only had a handful of bees with my stronger hive. How long do I have to wait before they're fully combined? I go back to school on Friday...spring break 08!

NWIN Beekeeper · March 03, 2008, 08:13:23 PM

Depends on your method....

Are we talking about a newspaper combine?
It also depends on how much brood and bees you have between the two.

You are fighting a war of pheromones.

AndersMNelson · March 03, 2008, 08:44:14 PM

I did the newspaper method. There were really only about a handful of bees in the weak colony. I think winter got the better of them.

bassman1977 · March 03, 2008, 09:23:36 PM

24 hours has always been enough for my newspaper combines. Putting two layers of newspaper down, they had chewed through and combined in that time.

AndersMNelson · March 04, 2008, 12:06:50 AM

Cool, thanks.

Michael Bush · March 04, 2008, 08:59:18 AM

If there is only a handful, I'd just shake them in and call it good. They may not get through the newspaper.

AndersMNelson · March 04, 2008, 06:04:51 PM

Sorry to continue this, but I'm a little stumped. The weak guys I added were in a super, with a bunch of honey and pollen in a few of the frames. I want to take the super off to add a fresh one for upcoming nectar flows, since it has only old wax and I can't put the shallow frames in the deeps, but it's about a third full. The problem is I won't be able to come back home for a couple of weeks and I don't want to miss a flow. Will the bees consolidate the honey and pollen to the deeps, or will they let it be?