Boosting small spring clusters

Equalizing the colonies starts eaarly. Here I am boosting the population of small Spring clusters with the explosion of bee populations in other larger colonies.

[@MrBeachbums5]

What do you do with all of those deep frames that are full of thick, hard, capped honey? I notice that you pulled a lot of those and replaced them with drawn brood comb. I always struggle with what to do with those frames.

[@MrBeachbums5]

I appreciate the “moldy frame” question. I have always wondered about that.

[@heavymechanic2]

If you have a strong colony, you can cycle deadout frames and the bees will clean it out like it was never a problem frame. Those old honey frames can be added during the dearth or put in after the last honey pull for winter prep.

[@lester3836]

Thanks for the videos. It really helps to see what to do next in the bee yard.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Glad it helps

[@masoudmon3411]

Thank you for the video

[@lavenderbridges]

Thank you for this video. I was able to get into most of my colonies last weekend when we had some warm weather. I was very concerned because I was only seeing these little softball size clusters of brood. But watching your video I realize that’s exactly where they should be for this time of year. Like you I have ton of honey, so I’m going to have to switch out some frames. I am holding off till we get through this rainy week, no just to give them extra feed inside because they won’t be foraging.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

I do prefer to see bigger clusters than that but they can do perfectly well.

[@mentormustafa7938]

The anticipation of the upcoming split is unbearable- great technique Peter!- let the healthy colony heal the weak one. Mystery: when you split them, does the top colony need to be relocated or placed next to the string hive? Use sticks to force reorientation perhaps?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

If they stay in the same yard there will be drifting back so I tend to move to a new yard.

[@earlsneller8932]

Very Nice , Thank you and practical....

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Thanks

[@cutlerbm]

Nice video. I appreciate you posting it. Do you ever find that the bees from the lower chambers come up and kill the queen from the weak hive using this method?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

That can actually happen especially if they are disturbed too early.

[@temijinkahn511]

Wouldn’t the bees attack each other when you combine the hives? Wouldn’t the upper hive bees see the new bees from below like they would robber bees?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

No that is the great thing about it the newspaper slows the mixing of the bees so that fighting does not occur.

[@Hurtzilla]

I put a moldy frame into a pro nuc with a 3 frame split. The moldy frame was cleaned and free of mold within 4 hours by the time I transferred it to a different apiary nuc. Worker bees work.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Great illustration of their ability!

[@davidsoloninka7742]

At the beginning of this video u show a brown medium and a green deep that u had reversed. Why use a medium super for a brood chamber instead of a deep? Thx Peter I am a novice trying to learn.

[@Richiemouse]

Fascinating. I hope you video in a few weeks so we can see how they did.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

I plan to

[@srae1503]

Do you ever just give them a loaded frame of bees and brood from a strong colony to boost them?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Oh yes but it may take several visits to achieve the results.

[@anthonymauceri8919]

When you put the two hive together to build them up, how long do you wait until you’ separate them

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Typically three weeks max.

[@calbritt785]

With the newspaper applied is there still a danger of the Queen's fighting?

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Not with a queen excluder in place....the queens never meet.

[@calbritt785]

As my last question It is when the newspaper has been at out is there a danger for the queens to touch

[@elbowgreaseandducttape]

You should use a queen excluder between hives, once both hives have a queen

[@carolinesneep6781]

Should we always put the weak one on top of strong one ? I need to moove a strong hive location, was wondering if I could just slide them over my weak hive ? Thank you

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Yes the heat from the larger colony helps the smaller one to support more rapid growth.

[@MeyerTribe7]

What's the name of the technique called when you keep queen in bottom, give her drawn comb, put excluder on top, then medium box, then add the 2nd deep on top of them all. Starts with a D I think.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Probably thinking of the Demaree method, its all about depopulating the brood chamber to delay swarming and build up a bigger population.

[@bullwinkled790]

what about worker bees from the weak hive that have been flying or departing from their new location returning to the previous location of the weak hive. Aren't ya gonna loose a lot of bees. sounds like you are not worried about it.

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

Thats true when doing it in the same yard....those bees drift into adjacent hives. But the flood of bees from below more than compensates.

[@SylantBill]

Did you cut slits in the second join in did I miss it?

[@elbowgreaseandducttape]

When I was merging a hive with queen and a queenless one, I tried this method without cutting slits in the paper, and they ate through the paper in less than a day, I tried doubling the paper and they ate through it in less than 12 hours and they were fighting, so I use 1/8 Inch mesh instead of news paper for 4 to 5 days and then remove the mesh and use news paper, because by that time they got use to each other scent, if the hive has 2 queens please use queen excluder when applying the news paper

[@SylantBill]

@@elbowgreaseandducttape thank you for the reply. I am a new beekeeper trying to understand. I caught 6 swarms this year and 2 are small may have to join larger swarm.

[@tritonewr4054]

He’s not merging the two colonies. He’s putting the weak one with a queen over a strong colony. Some of the nurse bees from below will go up through the newspaper and excluder to help raise brood which will ultimately boost the weak colony. In a couple weeks it’ll be boosted and separated from the strong colony.

[@elbowgreaseandducttape]

@@tritonewr4054 that is correct and you are right, but I was just sharing my experience so if there is anyone that needs to know, and wether merging or just trying to boost brood production, it's basically almost the same method

[@BeekeepingwithTheBeeWhisperer]

I may not have but they eat through quickly anyway.