Newspaper Combine Question

[Pond Creek Farm]

Combining two smaller hives this (or maybe tomorrow morning).  How many sheets thick should the newspaper separating the two boxes be?  Should I make sure the paper sticks out the sides so that the bees cannot come around the edges?

[randydrivesabus]

when i did that i used one sheet of newspaper and i just laid it over the top bars of one hive and slitted it a little with my hive tool and then put the other hive on top. so the newspaper was bigger than the hives and i had a newspaper fringe around the outside of the hive. the bees neatly cut off the newspaper at the inside edges of the hive bodies.

[TwT]

when i did that i used one sheet of newspaper and i just laid it over the top bars of one hive and slitted it a little with my hive tool and then put the other hive on top. so the newspaper was bigger than the hives and i had a newspaper fringe around the outside of the hive. the bees neatly cut off the newspaper at the inside edges of the hive bodies.

I 2nd that above, about 3 slits will work.

[bassman1977]

I typically do 1 or 2 sheets.  No slits.  They combine is usually done after 24 hours.

[Michael Bush]

1 sheet.

Usually I make at least one small slit.  Sometimes I don't.  The hotter the weather the more likely I'll make a slit.

[Kathyp]

one sheet for me.  if it's hot you might want to give them an upper entrance.  you don't want them to cook before they chew through.