Poorly chicken

[hilda-and-evadne]

Just inspected both hives and whereas the first (older) colony appears well set up for the winter, the second colony (from a nucleus swarm this summer) definitely is not. I have been feeding the second colony but they still have almost no honey stores, and they are too few in number - I guess - to be able to keep warm when the temperature really drops.

 

Could I ask, please: can I just put the smaller colony brood box on top of the older colony brood box (or on top of the older brood box plus super)? Should I not do something to ensure that the queens do not meet? At the moment I cannot visualise how to do that and at the same time ensure that both queens continue to have access to stores.

 

Should I arrange the brood boxes and supers like this:

 

empty super with sugar syrup feeder

2nd colony broodbox

queen excluder

1st colony super

1st colony broodbox

 

Would be very grateful for any advice.

[hilda-and-evadne]

I had read about but forgotten this - nice picture and short description here

 

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-combine-two-bee-colonies-into-one-hive.html

[Old Speckled Hen]

Don't forget to take the queen out of the weaker colony.

If you want to play instead pop the small colony into a nuc box, preferably poly,close the floor for warmth and bung on as big a slab of fondant as will fit

[hilda-and-evadne]

Don't forget to take the queen out of the weaker colony.

If you want to play instead pop the small colony into a nuc box, preferably poly,close the floor for warmth and bung on as big a slab of fondant as will fit

 

I think she fell out while I was moving the weaker colony broodbox. After I'd moved the broodbox, I noticed a small clump of bees under the stand on which the weaker hive had stood, not going anywhere, just moving around in a cluster. I was about to try to add them to the combined colony when I remembered that I didn't actually want the queen from the weaker colony so I left the clump where it was and closed up the combined colony. By the following morning, the clump of bees had disappeared.

 

If I had a nuc, I would have swept the clump into it. I must buy a nuc, as it is evidently a very useful thing to have as back-up.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Best of luck.

All will be revealed in the spring

Let us know how you get on

[hilda-and-evadne]

Best of luck.

All will be revealed in the spring

Let us know how you get on

 

Thank you - your help much appreciated.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Poly nuc boxes are very very useful.

I have three from Paynes. The integral feeder is a bit of a payne.... and I prefer to use the ekes you can buy and feed from on top but I wouldn't be without them. They were invaluable when I had to AS this spring in the teeth of bad weather. The colonies did much better being swarmed into a smaller box.

You can overwinter a small colony very successfully too.