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Merging Colonies
Overview
Merging two colonies is a relatively easy task. It is done when there is a weaker colony which might not otherwise survive, or when you catch a swarm and don't have a place to otherwise put it.
There are two approaches to merging colonies:
- Ensure you have a single queen, in which case you will have to find and remove the queen from one of the colonies.
- Let the queens battle it out and may the best girl survive.
This second approach is a relatively common method some beekeepers take when adding a swarm to an existing colony (i.e., the beekeeper does not have any more boxes for the creation of a new hive).
Do note that this could result in the swarm queen winning, and you probably do not know the age of that queen. If this does happen, you should plan on re-queening the combined colony around August (giving the new queen time to get ready for winter).
How it Works
The merging steps are:
- On the receiving hive, remove the telescoping and inner covers.
- Place newspaper across the top of the newly exposed top box.
- Cut 3-6 slits in the newspaper in areas where the smells from the two colonies will merge.
- Place the other hive atop the newspaper.
- Place the telescoping and inner covers atop this.
- Walk away and let the bees do their thing.
In a week, you will find that the bees have removed all the newspaper between the two hive boxes.
More Information
Presentations
- Making Colony Splits: An Inexact Procedure (YouTube video), by Dr. Jim Tew. Recorded 16 April 2014.
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Disclaimer: eMail comments to me at BeekeepingBoK @ Gmail.com. The process of beekeeping can cause injury or be a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken, including the wearing of appropriate protective equipment. |