[Fuzzystuff]

I have 1 very strong hive that will need to be split at least in half soon and 1 small hive. The small hive (= 5 frame nuc) has been growing slow this spring. If I moved some bees from my strong hive to the small one do I have to keep them closed up for 24 hrs before blending them with newspaper or can I move them and use the paper as a blocker? What are the chances that the blending will work and there will not be fighting?

 

[Iddee]

Just switch stands during the day and let the foragers from the strong hive return to the weak hive. Very easy, no fighting.

 

[Fuzzystuff]

Never thought of that, thanks Iddee. Thats why your the master and I'm not.

 

[Iddee]

Nope, just been around a few more moons.

 

[tecumseh]

blending (as you call it) can work if the weather is cool and the worker bee's activity is slow enough. when I do this (which is fairly rare and only in cool weather) I add the frame at the outside edge of the box which allows the added bees to slowly moved to the center. moving live bees to another hives is a process highly subject to hazards so it is not something I normally suggest that a new bee keeper should attempt. certain scents (wintergreen I think is one???) added to syrup can mask the difference in smell and allow you to 'dump' live bees right into an existing hive.

most time if I need to boost I do so by moving a frame of sealed brood after shaking off the clinging brood bees. this takes a bit more time but the hazards are minimal and the results almost certain. if taken from a very robust hive the cost to the robust hive is almost unnoticeable.