united carnage

[badger65]

I have tried to unite two conies using the newspaper method. All I can say is that it doesn't seem to have worked as the bodies are stacking up in front of the hive. One colony was definitely without a queen. I used two sheets of paper on top of one another and it seems to have taken 2 days for them to get through. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Shure it's not lack of airflow causing overheating rather than fighting ? seen that cause mayhem during a unite

 

[Erichalfbee]

Particularly if there are lots of bees in the top box/s it pays to pop a travel mesh on top instead of the crown board.

 

[oliver90owner]

Two sheets? Did you puncture both sheets in several places?

What time of day did you unite?

As above, what ventilation did you supply?

Were the boxes in full sun?

All these things, and more, need thinking about. I have never had a paper unite fail. The method has been bomb proof. Only once did I put a too-small colony on top which needed help to actually do anything. They were united with an aftershave spray, IIRC. I tried it with paper but fully expecting them to need huge holes before the few bees would do anything - they were that weak!

 

[Teemore]

How were the two colonies sited before you united them?

My guess (without further information) is that your colonies were located at points A and B. You moved colony B to unite with colony A and as part of the process, you lifted colony A off its floor, placing B in its place. You then placed A on top of B, separated by paper. Flying bees from A returned to the position of their hive and when they tried to get in, were met/repelled by the bees from B. Result = dead bees. Uniting over paper should not result in piles of dead bees.
The other possibility is poisoning.......

 

[badger65]

Hives are about 1 foot apart. Put A on B at night so no fliers. I think it must be airflow. I have taken out the paper which they had made good progress on and put some mesh on the top brood box. I will remove this and put the lid on tonight. I have just had a look at them and both strains are flying in and out of the hive and not bothering each other.

Another lesson learnt I have learnt.

 

[enrico]

It is easy to kill all the bees in the top box with overheating on a hot day before they ever get through the paper. I spray it with a little water, seems to stop any problems. If by any chance you have a queen above and below the paper ( obviously by mistake!) they often won't even bother trying to get through it! They just die of heat!
E

 

[Cazza]

Just to add to this in case no-one else has?
Two sheets of paper is excessive, one, with scored slashes,is plenty. Two would have made the process longer than necessary in this hot weather.
Cazza

 

[badger65]

Yes you are correct. When I was researching how to do it, I read one that said two sheets of paper. I took this to mean on top of each other but I think they meant tabloid side by side.

 

[enrico]

That's all the telegraph is good for ..... the daily mail doesn't fit!