Merging hives in Spring?

[fred scuttle]

I've merged a few hives successfully in Autumn but wondered if it is ok to also merge hives in Spring / early spring?

The reason I ask is that one of my hives will be on a 3 year old Q if it makes it through the Winter, and rather than re-queen it I have been thinking a merger may be the way to go but am not sure what the chances of success are versus merging them in Autumn as I've read that is the best time to do it.

I wouldn't want to cause one of my other strong hives to have problems by merging it with a weaker hive at the wrong time of the year. Also will this potentially throw them out as far as the stronger hive and Spring colony build up is concerned?

Has anyone got any advice about this, or should I give it a miss and try to requeen if it makes it through until say May?

Thanks

 

[For want of a better word]

Please do not take this as criticism... Why requeen just because she is 3 years old?

I know the books probably say requeen every 3 years but I have both native black Amm AND New Zealand Italian colonies that are on 4 year old queens and going onto 5 this Spring... producing large honey cropping colonies.

IF you notice a drop in fecundity I daresay the bees will too, and they will replace her.

Merging two weaker colonies will not make up for a failing queen, whatever time of year it is attempted?

 

[fred scuttle]

IF you notice a drop in fecundity I daresay the bees will too, and they will replace her.

Yes, it is that reason mainly - I noticed she wasn't laying prolificly towards the back end of summer, but the other hives with the younger Q's were laying like billy-o.

I get your point so certainly not a criticism at all - that's why I posted to get as much advice as I can before deciding what to do.

 

[Pete D]

If I had a 3 year old queen and the temperament was right I would keep her to breed from this summer.
All my queens are new cos they are hell bent on swarming.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Manley had one queen that was nine years old before they superseded her

 

[madasafish]

I have one three year old queen. IF she survives, I'll breed from her. A lack of swarms is great if combined with other good features (lots of honey)...

 

[td4bees]

merging

I have one three year old queen. IF she survives, I'll breed from her. A lack of swarms is great if combined with other good features (lots of honey)...

not enough info. just because some one has a 3 yr. old queen, dose not mean it did not swarm, it may have swarmed twice a yr. and been re hived for all we know. ??.

 

[mbc]

It is standard management practice for some beekeepers to merge hives or to boost some with bees and brood from others in the spring, either to make strong colonies for early honey flows e.g.. osr, or to make sure colonies are strong enough to make the grade as pollinators.

 

[madasafish]

not enough info. just because some one has a 3 yr. old queen, dose not mean it did not swarm, it may have swarmed twice a yr. and been re hived for all we know. ??.

Yes ... but I would not have posted IF she had swarmed...

 

[Firefly]

It is standard management practice for some beekeepers to merge hives or to boost some with bees and brood from others in the spring, either to make strong colonies for early honey flows e.g.. osr, or to make sure colonies are strong enough to make the grade as pollinators.

Thanks for the info. Standard newspaper technique, just like autumn?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks for the info. Standard newspaper technique, just like autumn?

yup

 

[richardbees]

Fred

Surely merging 2 colonies in the Spring will result in an over crowded colony that will want to to swarm?

Richard

 

[For want of a better word]

Fred

Surely merging 2 colonies in the Spring will result in an over crowded colony that will want to to swarm?

Richard

Making up a nuc with one queen and merging the remaining bees with another colony, can be a methodology used for swarm control.
The trick is to get all of the flying bees not to return to the nuc that needs to have mainly young bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Fred

Surely merging 2 colonies in the Spring will result in an over crowded colony that will want to to swarm?

Richard

all depends on the size of the colonies - could be the saving of them, or at least making good use of bees from a weakening colont that elsewise would struggle to build up and dwindle

 

[richardbees]

I agree with all posts above but, as I see it, all Fred's colonies are viable and he's just querying what to do with the colony after he's culled the 3 y.o Q?
I'm advising he doesn't do it....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

IF you notice a drop in fecundity I daresay the bees will too, and they will replace her.

Yes, it is that reason mainly - I noticed she wasn't laying prolificly towards the back end of summer, but the other hives with the younger Q's were laying like billy-o.

that's why I posted to get as much advice as I can before deciding what to do.

It may be that the said colony will be much weaker when th OP opens up in spring. I get the feeling that the OP is just getting all his options ready to make a decision come spring

 

[REDWOOD]

Don't count the chickens until thieve hatched

 

[td4bees]

Yes ... but I would not have posted IF she had swarmed...

and the rest of us are supposed to know that (how) and the way you finish your post about stupid people. does that tie in with some thing I read about bullying on the forum ?

 

[Hivemaker.]

and the way you finish your post about stupid

Terry, that piece is not really a part of his post as such, it is a quote, used in his signature, and is at the bottom (below the line) of every post madasafish makes.

 

[mbc]

It is standard management practice for some beekeepers to merge hives or to boost some with bees and brood from others in the spring, either to make strong colonies for early honey flows e.g.. osr, or to make sure colonies are strong enough to make the grade as pollinators.

Thanks for the info. Standard newspaper technique, just like autumn?

Yes for merging colonies, but for boosting them with a frame or two of brood and adhering bees they can simply be gathered and distributed without worrying too much about fighting in my experience, possibly because I keep the surplus bees and brood in an open box while working so flying bees can return to their parent colony.