Combining a swarm with a Q- colony?

[ellypatt]

We've just picked up a good sized swarm, definitely one of our own.

One of our other hives is Q- with drone laying workers. If we shake them off this afternoon, could we unite the swarm with them later this evening? I was thinking newspaper on top, then a new super with frames for the swarm on top, roof etc. and a queen excluder underneath the whole lot.

Or would it be better to put the swarm at the bottom?

Any feedback appreciated. Thanks.

 

[susbees]

If you have laying workers it won't work. Shaking them out or adding a frame of open brood once a week until they draw queen cells likely will. Do you know for definite it's LW rather than a small DLQ? Laying workers will kill queens until the open brood pheromone stops them laying...but only worth it for a largish colony.

 

[ellypatt]

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure it's workers. The drones are dotted here and there throughout the hive. The colony is still a good size, enough bees to make it worth saving.
I thought that if we shook them off this afternoon then the laying workers wouldn't come back to the hive, so we'd be uniting the swarm with only non-laying workers

 

[susbees]

Doesn't always work...the LW were ordinary workers once and can still fly and possibly even follow others by scent? Even DLQ can fly home...tried that one.

Shake them out in front of your other colonies, move their old home away and turn the swarm into something good.

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[ellypatt]

Thank you for the advice. I shook them out, but a bit further away - lots came home (or where home was). Have another colony with a virgin queen and didn't want a DLW (if there was one) going in there - though perhaps this was excessive paranoia on my part Swarm hived.