How to Unite Beehives - How to Combine Beehives - Merging Bees for Winter - Combining Beehives

[@josephvogel7234]

Just another reason to have queen excluders handy. Seems like every time I turn around I discover another great way to use this versatile tool. Thanks for sharing

[@BlackMountainHoney]

They certainly are very useful!

[@mcginty9200]

Thank you, ill be following your steps tomorrow. I have a spring installed nuc still only on 6 frames and a newly mated queen from a june swarm to combine.

[@Alitotheg]

Havn’t got to see anyone doing this yet, thank you

[@BlackMountainHoney]

Cheers Al. Hope it was useful 👍

[@sambrian3383]

Great timing, have to do this to 2 of my colonies tomorrow 👍

[@BlackMountainHoney]

Good luck!

[@bluelab5019]

I'm about to merge a weak colony with another that has one of your (2022) queen's. Fingers crossed it's successful.

[@mruppity64]

excellent - this is what i did last week, minus the queen excluder bit (i'll remember this for next year)- off tomorrow to see what the result is

[@BlackMountainHoney]

Fingers crossed :D

[@mruppity64]

@@BlackMountainHoney worked well - didn't see the queen, but there was "near vertical" eggs - so i take that as a good sign

[@BlackMountainHoney]

@@mruppity64 Perfect! Always good to see 😀

[@eastsussexbeesandwildlife5801]

Thanks, very helpful as always. Peter

[@BlackMountainHoney]

Thanks Peter :D

[@namentatic4978]

I use the double screen board. Also if you use the paper, it is good to spray it with some alcohol to beat strange pheromone smell.

[@richardevans3084]

Alcohol ? I use Alcohol to kill bees for Mite wash

[@namentatic4978]

@@richardevans3084, well that is ethanol around 92% and you keep shaking/washing them in. When you spray some alcohol on the paper, that paper absorbing it and becoming softer. Bees scratching it making holes and passing through. They are losing some pheromone scent and mixing with other bees easy.

[@richardevans3084]

@@namentatic4978 Thanks i’ll take that an put in tool bag👌🏼

[@benjamindejonge3624]

Queens you don’t kill, but discard sounds more reflective

[@EmbarkMusic]

When you say empty feeders on the top can you elaborate on that.... what are you feeding? How is it set up? Are those empty supers? Do you do this through the winter...?

[@davidmenell1224]

Did you leave the entrance open for the top box with queen in

[@Lsmith-ly2cm]

What colors you guys in England use . In the USA we dont use purple. We use blue .white, yellow, red and green for the diffrent years. Great video and thank you again.

[@corncap6150]

Hello. I've seen some methods including them spraying the frames with vanilla plus sugar water to remove the pheromone of the bees. Im planning to merge again my failed splits. I cannot afford to lose a hive. I've heard in this video that they might kill the queen right queen?

[@BlackMountainHoney]

You always run the risk of queens being killed when merging. This is a very safe method

[@nipperblipper]

Hi, I'm about to merge my queenless colony to my hive with a new queen that's laying well. Do I put my queenless hive on top or bottom?

[@Oxfordgirlcooks]

If you have 2 colonies next to each other that you combine. How do you stop them returning to the old hive ? Will they automatically reorientate after they’ve chewed through the paper?

[@2of238]

Why is there a drone laying queen if she is newly born? Also why do use queen excluder when combining the hive?

[@BlackMountainHoney]

If they dont mate within 3-4 weeks, they can turn drone laying. QX slows things down and stops queens fighting in case you missed any

[@bluelab5019]

Is it the same method for combining 2 queen right colonies? I want to combine 2 national singles into one double for winter. Just take one queen away and make up a nuc, do the paper method and the now queenless colony will just accept the new queen? I dont want to cock this up because i got both queens off you😂😂

[@neilfrozenoak5438]

Hey Laurence 🫡 could you use a small mesh screen, in place of the newspaper? Leave in place for 24-48hours and then remove. Thank 😊

[@TH-cl5be]

hello how long would you wait for a newly hatched queen till you say the queen is going to stay a virgin and will not be getting mated, has the queen got a certain time line for mating?

[@royking1]

Just find a bus waiting at a bus stop, or visit a railway station and grab a couple of Metro newspapers. Free papers!

[@BlackMountainHoney]

Easier said than done if you are out in the sticks! But true, at least the Metro serves some purpose!

[@bengibbon9229]

Henry 8th

[@sharriceowens913]

I have a queen less hive and a strong hive..how do I combine in that situation

[@sharriceowens913]

Also the issue is that I have a deep brood box and a medium deep on both hives..I don't want it to be too tall by putting the deep and medium on top of a deep and medium box..does that make sense?