Any advice re best action to take to unite various ?

Hi

Appreciate this is advice I am asking for over a few colonies , and got an earfull before ( rightly so ! ) for asking for to much advice in one go.

So am really ( hoping ) looking for just a *basic proposed plan* of what I might do ?? Even a few lines would be great !

Any advise really appreciated , as am wracking my brains as to how to best cope overall with what I have now, and cannot settle on a *Best* plan, and there is no local mentor to me to ask what best to do.

Have ended up due to splits and success in AS,ing... a load of bees, would like to keep them all this year, and maximise crop, as huge work gone into all, next year will donate some Splits.

Basically in short below is what I have , want to maximise honey crop this year, and come out of next winter with 4 or five colonies.

My AS attempts have ended up all working , much to my delight I have numerous splits with newly mated laying queens.

Again.. If to big an ask for advice NO PROBLEM ... Thanks anyway. Learning loads in year two, and on this forum.

Apiary 1:

Hive 1: - Wooden National Angry hive with plenty of brood to hatch- Super only 1/4 full.
Hive 2: - National Single Paynes Poly Hive packed with brood , Super again 1/4 full.
Hive 3: Poly Nuc with top extension ( 12 Brood frames in total ) Packed with Brood.
Hive 4: Small Nuc with newly mated laying queen on 3 frames.

Apiary 2:

Hive 5: - Wooden National hive with no brood to hatch, plenty of bees, added test frame Sunday to check no queen present ( had left sealed cell 2 weeks ago )- Super only 1/4 full.
Hive 6,7 Poly Nuc with newly mated queens plenty bees, both queens laying just started in abundancel.
Hive 8 Poly Nuc with newly mated queens plenty bees, queens laying just abundance and BIAS.

Have 3rd Apiary not yet visited since returning from 2 week holiday, where hived up a six frame Nuc in a Polly hive and supered 2 weeks ago and also another poly hive split I left with a QC.

OKay I know a big ask, and again if to much info just let sink down the Forum .

Thanks

Brian.

No time at moment, will study later and get back to you
E

OK...here is what I would do ....with the information supplied. As I don't know the size of your nucs and whether they are bursting with bees or not.
There are about 6 weeks main foraging time....not including Heather and ivy and late HB. So using existing foragers to the hilt and using existing nurse bees as they become foragers....it all depends on the flow in your area anyway.
Combine Hive 1 and Hive 3 .....get rid of nasty queen...and should be biggish colony...to make honey.
Hive 4 ...is very small....allow to grow on...may be big enough for over wintered Nuc by the end of the summer.
Combine Hive 5 and Hive 2 .....so you can use existing foragers and be sure they have a queen.
Nucs 6,7+ 8..... Don't know how big but combine biggest with Hive 9 .....you may get some honey...if a good flow.
Nuc 10 ...in out apiary...add to another Nuc...second biggest.
I know diddly squat about it all....so someone will be along soon with better ideas...I am sure....it sounds like you are Nuc rich and colony poor.....bit like me....I started the season with the intention of making increase and not expecting any honey....but I was lucky in the spring and did get some but it remains to be seen in regard to summer honey...the weather being foul!....good luck.

I would merge and make 4 to 5 full colonies and then probably demaree in May next year.

BrianO said:

...
Any advise really appreciated, as am wracking my brains as to how to best cope overall with what I have now, and cannot settle on a *Best* plan, and there is no local mentor to me to ask what best to do.
...
Basically in short below is what I have , want to maximise honey crop this year, and come out of next winter with 4 or five colonies.
...

Click to expand...

Start with the strategy:

You'll be best having at least 2 hives at any apiary location, it makes it so much easier if you have problems and need to merge hives or need to pass a frame of eggs/stores between hives.

With 3 apiaries now,
do you want to end up with 2 hives at each?
or just 2 apiaries with 2 hives each?

Once you've decided that, then the plan should be easy.

I am with Trem. That is what I would like to end up with. Basically it doesn't matter what you put with what as long as you end up with the amount of hives you want to overwinter. Reduces having to feed too many hives, but..... There is still time for honey this year so you want a couple of strong hives if possible and now is the time to do it.
E

Thanks Guys... Really appreciate the help as to be honest am a bit confused as to what direction to take.

Reading your advice question though, the suggestions involve uniting hives that are in the same locations, is that not a big problem ?

I had been trying to figure a plan based on the assumption that I had to stick to uniting taking a colony from one location and uniting with a colony from another location ?

No problem. Just use the paper method. By the time they have chewed through it they will be happy with the new hive location.

badger65 said:

No problem. Just use the paper method. By the time they have chewed through it they will be happy with the new hive location.

Click to expand...

Thanks, just so as I am sure I am understanding you 100%

You are saying can take a colony from within same Apiary , close to colony I will be uniting them with and using paper method, can successfully unite.

Will they not, after chewing through paper, mixing with new bees then fly out and return to old hive site only a few metres away ?

Also can I put the q+ nuc , which I will rehouse in a brood box packing out the spare space , on top of the Q- hive ?

When uniting, so as Belt and Braces job, worth a dart of air freshener to underside of top unite and top of bottom unite and the paper between both with QE , allowing bees to mix for a few days then remove QE after a few days ?? and let queen run of hive ?

Thanks again, appreciate the time taken to help me out.

BrianO said:

You are saying can take a colony from within same Apiary , close to colony I will be uniting them with and using paper method, can successfully unite.

Will they not, after chewing through paper, mixing with new bees then fly out and return to old hive site only a few metres away ?

Click to expand...

You can, if apiary arrangement allows it and you've got time, move the two hives so they are next to each other or move the smaller colony so it's close to the larger one.

When combining some people always put the smaller colony on top of the larger one, and always make sure the upper box has food enough to last a couple of days.

By the time the bees have chewed through the paper they will (should) be ready to orientate on the new location.

Agreed. I always put the hive with the queen on the bottom.

Hi brian

Just be careful when doing a newspaper unite that the colony you unite with has no eggs to make a queen with or if it does make sure you check through for emergency queen cells. My sneaky blighters raised a new queen despite the fact the newly joined queen was laying. New queen killed laying queen as soon as she emerged

BeeJayBee said:

You can, if apiary arrangement allows it and you've got time, move the two hives so they are next to each other or move the smaller colony so it's close to the larger one.

When combining some people always put the smaller colony on top of the larger one, and always make sure the upper box has food enough to last a couple of days.

By the time the bees have chewed through the paper they will (should) be ready to orientate on the new location.

Click to expand...

So will go with your suggestions and will be uniting hives from same location/apiaries. Will do so late in day when all foragers are returned and then move a colony. Placing as you say smaller colony on top of larger ( queen will be on top as she is in smaller colony for first unite ).

Thanks really helpfull !