[tricia]

How do I combine some bees from a strong hive into a weak hive with a queen? I have one hive with too many bees and a weak hive with a queen that needs more bees to make it through the winter.

 

[riverrat]

Welcome to the forum. If you are just wanting to increase the numbers in the weak hive and over winter both. Swap the 2 hives position with each other in the middle of the day that way the returning bees from the strong hive will return to the weak hive thinking its home and vise versa.

 

[tricia]

Can't do that as the weak hive had wax moths and don't want to chance contaminating the good hive. I have removed the old hive body with the frames full of wax moths and used a fume board to make the bees go into a new hive body. I have now moved two supers full of bees and some honey to the top of the weak hive with a newspaper between so hope it works. Now not sure I have a queen after more inspection.

 

[ShaneVBS]

spray both hives with 1.1 and honey b healthy and combine, except queen, you need to remove aall but one

 

[Iddee]

Tricia, wax moth larva won't be transported by flying bees. You can just switch places with the hives and it will help to equalize population, but the moths won't be affected either good or bad.

Shane, I don't think I would recommend HBH during a dearth. It will bring the robbers from miles away.

 

[riverrat]

if the other hive is good and strong They will put the wax moths in check. Let us know how it works out with what you did. May teach us a new trick :thumbsup:

 

[ShaneVBS]

it messes up there pheromones so they dont know whos, who, thats all I use, I dont use smoke when inspecting anymore. They clean it up fast, not to mention it helps with mites from the grooming, probably reduce entrance f you think it could be a problem, but I have not had any issues yet

 

[Iddee]

5 years from now you will be using smoke again, maybe much sooner. First time you get 200 stings within 5 to 10 seconds, you will change your mind. HBH is fine for feeding sugar water during the spring, but during the fall dearth, you are asking for trouble. Before it's all over, you will find it.

 

[ShaneVBS]

yea i have very gentle hives, cant treat all hives the same for sure

 

[tricia]

Well, won't know how it went for a few days. Things looked ok, not much fighting so far. I really don't think I have a queen now. Anyone know where I can get one this time of the year?

 

[riverrat]

bjorn here on the forum might have some. Pretty late to be getting queens you might be better off to combine the hives into one overwinter than split back to 2 next spring

 

[tricia]

Yea, thought about that but my other hive is already too big should have split it earlier, that is why I thought I try moving some of them to the weak hive. So really need a queen now. Wax moths so thick and webbing so thick think they killed the queen. Anyone out there that knows where to get a queen please let me know. I have been searching the web but haven's located anyone with queens this time of the year.

 

[tecumseh]

likely the only queens available at this time of year is Hawaii.

as to your 'weak' hive.... once wax moth have a substantial hold most times the bees abscond when their war with the wax moth has no positive outcome. if the infestation was as bad as you suggest I would not be surprised if the bees you see in the box are largely robbers.