Natural Beekeeping International Forum

[nmccabe]

I found QCs in my TBH and did an artificial swarm, including a 180degree rotation, as described in Phil's book. Now I want to reunite the colonies, but the colony entrances are on opposite sides of the hive, any ideas? Niamh

[ingo50]

Niamh, could you please be more specific? Is one queenless, a failing queen or just too weak for the winter?

[AugustC]

There are quite a few ways but like the man said more info would be good.
Why do you want to reunite? As in what is it you want to achieve?
Is there a queen in both?
What are the colony sizes?

[nmccabe]

I've done 3 inspections, over about 12 days, since I split the hive, I saw a queen in one colony on 2 occasions, though not the last. I saw a sealed unopened QC in the other on all 3 occasions. I didn't see eggs or larvae in either colony.
I think the second colony is queenless and that's why I want to unite the colonies.

What other information would be useful?
Niamh

[nmccabe]

PS This split means I have 4 colonies in my garden, I would prefer fewer

[Barbara]

Hi

If it's only 12 days since you did the split, in my opinion it is too soon to reunite. Wait until both colonies have laying queens and then you will have a better idea of which one to keep. You then need to either cull the queen you don't want to keep or better to put her into a small nuc with a comb of brood and a comb of stores with bees attached and then either unite by dusting both colonies with icing sugar or making a snug fitting follower with a large hole covered in newspaper and slashed and block the queenless colony's entrance. You will probably find it goes smoother if you do it early evening and then block their entrance at night after they have all returned. You will have to rearrange the brood combs a few days later once they are settled so that they are all in one area together, otherwise you risk the nurse bees on what was the queenless side trying to raise an emergency queen.

Hope that makes sense

Barbara