switching hive locations

[leechmann]

I was told by the commercial bee guy, whom I purchased my bees from, that if you have a real strong hive and a weeker hive, you should switch the hive locations during the time of day when the foragers are out. He said this will boost the weak hive, and help prevent the stronger hive from swarming. So I gave it a try two days ago. I switched the hives locations, and saw that the strong hive was killing the foragers as they returned to the wrong hive. The weaker hive was not able to protect aginst all the new bees coming in so they just let it happen. I returned my focus to the strong hive and was concerned that the bees were really fighting on the doorstep. I smoked the bees and they all seemed to quit fighting and I thought the problem was solved. I returned today to find that the weaker hive has lots of activity and the switch seemed to work. The strong hive has a pile of dead bees on the ground in front of the door. I think they rounded up every forager from the weaker hive and killed them.

Does anyone have any suggestion that would make this more successfull. I think the weaker hive did well, but the foragers from the weak hive didn't do so good.

[Kathyp]

if you strengthened the weaker hive, you accomplished your goal.  usually foragers are welcome, but you may also have had some robbing if your stronger hive has put away honey or the stronger hive was bent on protecting it's honey.  a "pile" of dead bees?  100's or a couple dozen?

[leechmann]

I would say 500 bees. I think they killed all of the foraging bees from the weaker hive, that returned to the stong hive.

[leechmann]

I was watching these two hive today. The stroger hive has been robbed of it's hooney and the bee are killing all of the drones as they enter the hive. Has anyone experienced this before ?









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