# Simple equalization or disaster?



## Honey Hive Farms (Nov 1, 2012)

We do this all the time. A couple of ways you can do this. We put newspaper on top of the box we are adding to and slice it with a razor blade. Then we put a box on top and shake the bees into the box. The bees will slowly merge into the hive you wanted to add bees to. We feel like this way they get to smell each other, less fighting, etc. NOTE: They may fly out and go back to the hive they came from if close, say up to three miles. Just my thoughts on the question. 
Wish you well.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

adrock said:


> “Simple” question.
> Can I equalize hives by simply shaking brood frames from a strong colony into a weak one? I don’t need to equalize food stores or comb, all are queen right just some smaller because of queen issues a month or two or three ago.Thinking of winter and the army of foragers needed to prepare. Will it be a problem without the accompaniment of eggs and larvae from one colony to another?


several way to equalize.
move honey from a packed hive to a hive needing stores, move the empties back.
move a frame of brood with bees, make sure the queen is not moved.
take build comb from a strong hive, give to a weak hive.
swap hive strong for weak.
move filled supers, from a strong to a weak, some bees stay, oriented go back. but the tall stack is under better control.
feed wet supers back to a light hive.

or combinations of these.

GG


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## NUBE (May 24, 2009)

You can just shake them in. Smoke the hive you’re shaking them into fairly well beforehand. Any foragers on the shaken frames will fly back to their original hive almost immediately. Only nurse bees will remain. They’ll become foragers for their new hive in the coming weeks.

If you’re in a dearth, it may be wise to put some robber screens on before doing this. Place them on in the very early morning or just as the sun is setting.


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## adrock (Mar 19, 2021)

I am going to just shake them in. I am in a very strong flow with the huge fields of knapweed surrounding the yard so I will give it a try without the newspaper divide. Thanks!


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