Subject: weak hive?

From: rspear@sookit (Richard Spear)
Date: 15 Aug 1994 15:13:19 GMT

hi - my two new hives have survived the summer (still raging here in
california), but one of them seems quite weak. the two were started from
five frame nucs ... i've added two honey supers to one of them and the other
has yet to fill the brood chamber. as october/november approaches, i'm a bit
concerned about this weaker hive ... can i take some honey frames (and
bees) from the strong hive and add them to the weak one? anyone have any
other ideas on how to strengthen the weak hive?

regards, richard

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Malcolm Roe)
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 17:17:48 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] writes:
>i've added two honey supers to one of them and the other
>concerned about this weaker hive

You can boost the weaker hive but before you do that you should ask
yourself, "Why are the two colonies so different?"  It could be disease.
Inspect your weak hive carefully for brood diseases and mites.  If you
find anything then treat as appropriate.  Another possibility is that
you have a poor queen.  I'll return to that.

Assuming the hive is healthy then transfer a frame or two of brood,
depending on how much is available, from the stronger to the weaker
hive.  Its best to shake most of the adult bees off.  Make sure you
don't transfer the queen!  It's young bees you want at this time of
year to build up for the winter.

If the hive still doesn't thrive then requeening is probably indicated.

-- 
Malcolm Roe                            Phone  :  +44 442 230000 ext 5104
Crosfield Electronics Ltd              Fax    :  +44 442 232301
Hemel Hempstead, Herts. HP2 7RH, UK    E-mail :  [email-masked] 
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From: [email-masked] (Michael Moroney)
Date: Wed, 17 Aug 1994 04:54:46 GMT

> has yet to fill the brood chamber. as october/november approaches, i'm a bit

You may wish to consider that you may be better off with one strongish
hive going into winter rather than two weaker ones.  If the hive comes through
winter strong they'll have a good jump on the spring and you will be
rewarded.  Otherwise you may have a weak hive and a very weak (or dead)
hive and get less total honey.

To do this combine the hives.  Remove whichever queen is less desireable
(prob. the one from the weaker hive), or don't bother if you want the bees
to sort things out.  Remove the outer and inner cover from one hive, place
a sheet of newspaper over it (with a couple small holes in it) and place the
other hive body on it.  The bees will chew the paper and slowly get acquainted
in the process.

You can split the hive in the spring if they're doing well/trying to swarm,
and get your two hives back.

However you're from California so therefore don't have the winters we do here,
so maybe they'll do OK anyway.

Regardless be darn sure the weak hive is not diseased before you do anything
that will contaminate the other.

-Mike