weak hive

[chickenwing654]

Hi,

I need to help a weak hive from a summer split.    Bees are on two of a five frame nuc.    I think I lost some bees back to my first hive.   Would the best way to bolster their numbers is to add a couple of frames from my strong hive of capped brood to this nuc?  I assume they would accept these bees, right? 

I assume I couldn't shake off some bees from my strong hive on them since they might kill they queen they don't know.

thanks
David

[divemaster1963]

Wait till a sunny day. Then around 2 pm  then swap the locations with the stronger in hive then let it stay there for couple days then swap locations again at 2 pm. You will double up on the weak hive .

John

[rwlaw]

If you shake the bees at the entrance you'll be ok, the ones that walk into the nuc are the house and nurse bees that haven't orientated yet and don't yet have the instinct to be territorial, then give a frame of the oldest capped brood you can find in the strongest hive ( coffee colored caps).
If they don't perk up, pinch the queen and combine back. My mentor always pounded it into my head  "take your losses in the fall".
Make sure you don't have the queen on the frames that your going to shake off!

[chickenwing654]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.  I did have a question or two on the shaking bees off at the entrance.  Would I place the nuc on the ground (its up on a pallet stand 12" up off the ground) to do this (so that the bees could walk in the entrance)?

I just added two frames of capped brood to my nuc  with no bees on the frames this afternoon before reading this post.

thanks
David

[biggraham610]

I just went thru the same thing. if your strong hive can spare a frame or 2 of capped/emerging brood, the nuc will explode very quickly. I just added 1 full frame of capped to basically the same scenario as you and the box is rocking in a few days. I did find the oldest darkest capped brood in the donor hive so i knew they would be emerging the soonest. Also, I added, just the frame, no bees, and I put it between the 2 full frames of bees in the nuc. Once they emerge your queen will quickly lay up that frame and the others since she has bees to care for them now. Good Luck. G

[chux]

Hi,
Thanks for the replies.  I did have a question or two on the shaking bees off at the entrance.  Would I place the nuc on the ground (its up on a pallet stand 12" up off the ground) to do this (so that the bees could walk in the entrance)?

I just added two frames of capped brood to my nuc  with no bees on the frames this afternoon before reading this post.

thanks
David

I like to put a ramp in front of the hive, and shake the bees as close as possible to the entrance. I also spray a light mist of sugar water on them to help them bee welcomed as "bearing gifts." Maybe you could set a small platform of some type, right in front of the hive??