How long after requeening before merging other bees in.

[damienpryan]

Hi All,

I'm hoping for some advice...

I've got 2 new queens that I'm installing into 2 hives today.
(I'm splitting 1 hive that I removed the queen last night so will have 2 10 frame 1 box hives with a new queen each).

After this I'm hoping to merge in 2 other small hives with feral queens.
(news paper method, remove the feral queen 24 hours before hand).
But don't know how long I have to wait till I can do the merge.
Is 2 weeks after installing long enough (if she is laying) or should I wait more like a month?
Also do I put the hive with the queen on top or bottom when I merge?


(I'm on a mission to get rid of all my feral queens from my 6 hives!)

Cheers

Damien

[Michael Bush]

You can do a merge anytime you like.  Just use one sheet of newspaper between the two.  You can do it before you dequeen them, after you dequeen them...

>(I'm on a mission to get rid of all my feral queens from my 6 hives!)

I would be on the opposite mission...

[Acebird]

Damien,
Please update your profile with an approximate location.  It can help you get better answers to your questions in the future.

[Sydney guy]

Hi Michael,
Just curious to know why you would be the on a opposite mission?? I have basicly been thinking this now too. I think a feral queen has done well to survive and defend off pests wothout human interference that might eventually build a natural immunity to thing diseases and pests but us replacing queens all the time is interfering in natures and getting rid of strong feral colonies and their genetics. This is just my thought and not based on any fact at all.  There would be a lot smarter people out there who could anwser this with fact I would think. I have only had bees for a bit over a year lol.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

[damienpryan]

Hi Michael, Acebird, Sydney Guy,

I'm in Melbourne, Australia.

I think the local/feral versus purchased queens is different in Australia to USA.
Michael has to cope with Verroa mite/Colony Collapse etc and local queens with high local resistance it a valid way to go.
Reading his website he has some great adaptions (local queens, natural cell etc). 

My problem isn't disease. No Verroa of course, and virtually no hive beetle or any other disease I can recognize and my colonies never die out.

My problem is given the mild climate and abundant variety of Pollen/Nectar in the suburbs of Melbourne is that they swarm every year
and the swarms annoy neighbors. Also the bees are aggressive and hard to work with (not super aggressive but more than I want for suburbs).
I suspect the local/feral queens are adapted to swarm frequently to take advantage of the conditions. 

(I've added my location to the profile, good call).

Cheers

Damien

[Acebird]

Don't die off!  You have it made...
For a hot hive you can requeen in the conventional way or split the hive, requeen the queen right side and let the other half make it's own.  Determine which one is milder, pinch the other and combine if you don't want more or requeen or grow another queen depending on which is milder.

[max2]

Don't die off!  You have it made...
For a hot hive you can requeen in the conventional way or split the hive, requeen the queen right side and let the other half make it's own.  Determine which one is milder, pinch the other and combine if you don't want more or requeen or grow another queen depending on which is milder.

Hi Brian - is this called " non intervention beekeeping" :) ?

[Acebird]

Hi max,
Getting rid of a hot hive will require intervention.  Stealing honey is an intervention, I do that also.  Splitting is an intervention, also do that.  If you have bees there are likely interventions that you / I will do to keep them around.  What my signature refers to "practicing non-intervention beekeeping" has to do with not going into the brood nest and futzing around. Not dousing my bees with poisons, and not feeding them sugar.  However I do not pinch queens because I cannot find them.  I would have to dump the hive to get rid of a hot hive.

[max2]

Brian - I think we both agree that beekeeping includes " intervention" - more or less. I always wonder what people mean by " natural" beekeeping?