# Yet another combining question



## Aroc

I have a single deep that is queenless. It's not very big at all. I think I had a laying worker in there but that may have stopped as I don't see any more uncapped brood.

I was thinking of just combing this with another hive that is right next to it.

The main hive consists of two brood boxes and a super. Right now though there is nothing in the super but honey only in the upper brood box.

If I do a newspaper combine should I just place it on top of the brood box that has honey in it, removing it later? I don't think I want this hive to have three brood boxes. Ideally I want the week hive box to be placed directly on top of the lower box.

Help please!!! I'm really confused on the best way to do this.


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## jerrystaxidermyhunter

*Re: Yet another combing question*

Yes just put the queenless hive on top of the queen right hive useing newspaper once combined you can remove the box .


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## Bee Havin

*Re: Yet another combing question*

Since the second deep is only honey I think if it was me, I would remove the second deep and do a paper combine. (assuming there's no laying workers) I would then either store the honey framed deep, or do a split. I would however think of how much time is left when doing a split. I would probably not do that, being it is only a single deep of bees. The added hatching brood will boost the hive and give your queen room to lay. I would then replace the honey supper so they don't fill your comb with honey before the hive can build more for the fall/winter build up. You can always feed back the deep frames for winter. What I suggest doesn't make it right, it's just what I would do if it were mine.
GOOD LUCK!!!


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## beepro

*Re: Yet another combing question*

Caution that the LWs hive might kill off the new queen. Summer hives are harder to combine. New LWs bees develop all
the time in the QL hive. At a time like this I would not do it unless you have another back up queen somewhere. A LWs hive always think they have a laying queen in there. All it takes is one bee to get the whole balling process started. This is how when I ignored the rules of doing a combine to kill many of my queens. It is a risk you have to take. I did this time with a very strong young laying queen.


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## Aroc

*Re: Yet another combing question*

Beepro,

I'm not so sure this hive is still laying. Is that possible? When I went in yesterday I didn't see any uncapped brood. Or is it a case of once an LW hive always an LW hive?


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## whiskers

*Re: Yet another combing question*

Read this thread-
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?330787-Laying-Worker-Easy-Fix!
It seems that some time with window screen between them is quite helpful.
Bill


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## beepro

*Re: Yet another combing question*

From my limited 5 season beekeeping experiences once a LWs hive, always a LWs hive until they
are queen right again. Because after that point of producing LWs, it is the hive's last chance to 
produce the drones passing the genetics as a last resort. That is why the prolonged LWs hive beekeepers don't
even bother to fix it but rather to shake them out instead. It is too risky to the new queen for a combine. I've also read here and have seen that a normal queen right hive will have some LWs as well. That usually the workers will take care of removing the drone eggs. Once a mating nuc passed the point of not having a laying queen, I will not put more eggs/young larvae to make another new queen. Extending the QL hive will have LWs for sure that they will killed the new virgin queen even when she managed to emerge somehow. My little bee experiment showed that even a virgin cannot survive inside a LWs hive. Her scent is much different from the LWs bees.


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## Bee Havin

*Re: Yet another combing question*

If the question of whether the hive is a LW hive, I would still steal some or all of the brood to strengthen the other hive. The seal brood are not laying workers at this point, but will become so, if indeed it is a LW hive. I would shake all the bees of the frames and then add them to the single deep you have. That said, you could/can try to determine if indeed you have a LW hive and fix it as whiskers suggested. If it was me, I would just take the brood. I haven't had much successful experience with LW hives, but haven't tried the screen method yet. (hoping I won't need to) I find It isn't worth the effort. I also have heard it said here that when shaking the bees out that the LWs the bees will enter another hive with the possibility of also making that hive a LW hive. I can't speak to that. I just let the hive continue to make honey and dwindle before shaking out the remaining few bees. Maybe not the best but it works for me. 
Back to the point of strengthening your other hive. I think I would rather have a strong hive going into winter then 2 weaker ones. That too is up for debate, but not on this thread. Again this just what I would do. It maybe isn't right, just what I would do.
GOOD LUCK!!!


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