Combining top-entrance hives (and a lack of queen-spotting confidence)

[TwoHoneys]

I installed 10 packages within the last few weeks, and I have to say that my learning curve has already skyrocketed.

One hive I installed 3 weeks ago has built many very wimpy-looking queen cells (some of which are now open)...but they're so wimpy looking that I have little confidence in whatever queen may have emerged.

I think I'll have to combine this wimpy-queen hive with a swarm I captured last week. (I'm borrowing frames of egg and larva for two other hives, and I don't have enough new frames with eggs to spare.)

I have two concerns, though...one is technical and the other is more debilitating:

First, the technical...I'm using top entrances. How can I combine two hives if they're both top-entrance hives? Should I give the bottom hive a temporary bottom entrance? (Sometimes the solution is as clear as the nose on my face, but I don't see it.)

Second, my constant, more debilitating concern...I have a very hard time spotting the queen when I need to. The success of most hive manipulations like this (even the practice of borrowing frames from one hive to give to another) involves locating a queen, or at least being relatively sure there isn't a queen on that frame or in that hive. I'm always pretty unsure if there's a queen or not.

Should I simply proceed with confidence based on whatever I can see?  

-Liz

[FRAMEshift]

The success of most hive manipulations like this (even the practice of borrowing frames from one hive to give to another) involves locating a queen, or at least being relatively sure there isn't a queen on that frame or in that hive.

Liz, I think the process of finding the queen is too uncertain and time consuming to be at the heart of your hive management plans.  It's better to operate as much as possible to minimize the importance of knowing where the queen is.  For example, instead of trying to find the queen to do a false swarm, just do an equal split.  She's in one hive or the other and it doesn't matter which.  

Ignoring the queen gets easier (and more necessary) when the hives are larger.  For example, if you want to requeen with an already mated queen,  split the hive into four parts.  Three of those parts will start queen cells, and they can be immediately recombined with the mated queen.  Then you only have to search for the queen in the small hive that does not start queen cells.

In the case of moving brood frames from one hive to another, you can brush all the bees off the frames to ensure the queen is not being moved by accident.

Combining two hives that both have queens is the one time when you may be forced to track down a queen and pinch her.  Fortunately, combining is a rare event and is usually done with a small weak hive where finding the queen is pretty easy.   But as you know, the problem is always the same:  "Finding a queen is determinative.  Not finding her is speculative."   :-D

[Michael Bush]

>Tne hive I installed 3 weeks ago has built many very wimpy-looking queen cells (some of which are now open)...but they're so wimpy looking that I have little confidence in whatever queen may have emerged.

Why?  What is a "wimpy looking queen cell"?  I've seen some awesome queens come out of some fairly small cells, and until they are capped they are ALL small.

>I think I'll have to combine this wimpy-queen hive with a swarm I captured last week. (I'm borrowing frames of egg and larva for two other hives, and I don't have enough new frames with eggs to spare.)

Why not let them do their thing and see how it goes?

>I have two concerns, though...one is technical and the other is more debilitating:
First, the technical...I'm using top entrances. How can I combine two hives if they're both top-entrance hives?

You can combine any two hives regardless of where the entrances are.

>Should I give the bottom hive a temporary bottom entrance? (Sometimes the solution is as clear as the nose on my face, but I don't see it.)

I always give both halves of a combine their own entrance in case it's hot and it takes a while for them to get through the newspaper.

>Second, my constant, more debilitating concern...I have a very hard time spotting the queen when I need to. The success of most hive manipulations like this (even the practice of borrowing frames from one hive to give to another) involves locating a queen, or at least being relatively sure there isn't a queen on that frame or in that hive. I'm always pretty unsure if there's a queen or not.

If you shake all the bees off the frame, there is no queen on it.  :)

But if you need to find a queen:
http://bushfarms.com/beesqueenspotting.htm

[TwoHoneys]

I think you're both suggesting I relax and enjoy myself and my bees. Okay. I will.  :)

-Liz