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Author Topic: Relatively new package + combining bees  (Read 1424 times)

Offline spafmagic

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Relatively new package + combining bees
« on: April 25, 2021, 10:06:07 am »
So, this is relatively straightforward... I am + 5 days into having installed a new bee package. Would it be safe to pull bees from one hive to prevent swarming, and then add those bees to the 5-day old hive?

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2021, 01:11:21 pm »
You can always safely move brood.
You cannot always safely move bees.

To boost your package hive go find 2 big frames of CAPPED brood in the other hive(s). At the source hive give the frame a firm shake for most of the bees to fall off.  The really clingy bees with the velcro feet will be nurse bees, those can stay on and go with the frame.  Put the capped brood frame into the package hive right next to their eggs/larvae frame.

A nifty trick to take bee-power away from a big hive and boost a little hive is to swap their positions.  The big hive will bleed off foragers and the small hive will pickup in population.  This way does not cause fighting nor queen loss.  You can move a substantial amount of bees around between hives this way with minimal work in the nests.

In your situation, I would probably do both.  Put the package hive where the swarmpreppy hive is and also give the package hive 2 to 3 frames of brood from the swarmpreppy hive. 

Hope that helps.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline spafmagic

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2021, 02:14:06 pm »
Aside from the "package hive" being my personal one, 30 minutes away from the other hive in question... I think this will help.

I just hope by now the big Hive hasn't prepped any Queen cells yet and gone into "stubborn mode" about making more should I remove them.

Am I to assume that if that is not the case as of yet, removing brood would affect them such that it will keep them from swarming, despite their immediate population numbers?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2021, 04:29:59 pm »
Put empty frames to replace the ones you removed to open up the brood area for the queen, drawn comb it you have it.
Never remove all queen cells from a hive. That is a good way to make it queenless.
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Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2021, 04:42:23 pm »
Yes.  Removing 50-100% of the brood will curb swarming tendencies - before QCs are juicy.  Once you have juicy QCs, setup a new hive (split) and move the queen to the new hive.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2021, 05:01:41 pm »
Yes.  Removing 50-100% of the brood will curb swarming tendencies - before QCs are juicy.  Once you have juicy QCs, setup a new hive (split) and move the queen to the new hive.

What are you Calling juicy. What stage? Thanks
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14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2021, 05:21:08 pm »
Soon as there is jelly.  Any and all stage.
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline FatherMichael

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2021, 07:27:14 pm »
So many balls to juggle!

Everything I knew before seems so old hat now.

Even my gloves are old.

A bee stung right through one the other day!  LOL
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

Offline spafmagic

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2021, 07:45:39 pm »
So, I found two of the fullest frames of capped brood from The packed hive which had a decent amount. (But not wall-to-wall like the last time I looked.) There were only several Queen cups on one frame in the entire hive, so I squashed those even though they didn't have anything in them.

I gave the hive two of my wired BetterComb frames and added a 10 frame deep above the queen of excluder and below the other two supers. I want them to draw wax on those frames. That hive pulled in a good deal of honey for me the last season... So if I get a whole 10 frame Deep full of honey... All the better.

Not too long ago I got those to brood frames into my package hive. I aim to get them built up enough to put a medium super down on them before the spring is over.
I did a quick inspection on the package hive earlier this afternoon  and found the queen was out and the laying eggs.

Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: Relatively new package + combining bees
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2021, 08:13:25 pm »
When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.