# uniting colonies tips/help



## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

Screen combine. 5 days later pull the screen if one side is queenless. 100% effective when I've done it with no smoke, mirrors, or fanciness.


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## Grégori (May 5, 2021)

Steve in PA said:


> Screen combine. 5 days later pull the screen if one side is queenless. 100% effective when I've done it with no smoke, mirrors, or fanciness.


i das read about and like this but have no tools to make this way.
I need a low tech approach. 
today I read about putting onions inside the hive , a usefull technique for wild bees from here, plus Lemmon grass tea:
cut the onion in little pieces, put in a new box in place of the most stable colony (the weak one is on his side) then, after spray with tea every bee and combs, intersperse frames, and put the bees altogether. 
is possible, without problems, perform this way?
I like the vision about this way

thanks


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

If you have larvae, there should be a queen in there. I'd try to find her and separate her before combining. Keep her alive in a small nuc just in case the virgin doesn't start producing.


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

Grégori said:


> i das read about and like this but have no tools to make this way.


No tools needed. Put a piece of window screen between the two boxes. Make sure they both have an exit.

In 5 days, assuming one is queenless, remove the window screen. It doesn't get any more low tech. This is directions for fixing a laying worker but the process is the same.










Laying Worker - Easy Fix!


There are many problems when dealing with LW hives; you need to continually add frames of brood at scheduled intervals to set them straight. Then another four weeks for a new queen, and three more before the first brood hatches, another week before the new brood forages. Population dwindles at...




www.beesource.com


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## Grégori (May 5, 2021)

hey, everyone,
Thanks for you help.
This colony had absconded. at next day I get to the hive and found it empty.

Steve in PA
I understand what did you talk. I'll provide the screen and other sources to stay ready for the next one.

Everything is gonna be alright. 

Thanks


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

Not really needed any more, but a piece of news paper with a couple of small slits in it works great.


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## Grégori (May 5, 2021)

Steve in PA said:


> Screen combine. 5 days later pull the screen if one side is queenless. 100% effective when I've done it with no smoke, mirrors, or fanciness.


I made confusion between this tech and the taranov boad.

indeed very simple.

what happens:
I lose this colony, they abscond. then , in the inspection I decide reinforce one weak colony i have and use this method successfully:
smoke both hives
3 to 5 minutes then open, choose the appropriate frame covered with nurse bees, spray withcon centrated honey lemon grass tea and put inside the sprayed weak hive.

never do that so I start the process and, a little afraid, add slowly the frame loking thoroughly the behavior. what a beautiful scene, they start to clean each other like little cats exchanging affection.

It work easily.


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## bushpilot (May 14, 2017)

When I need to combine, I just do it. No fuss or formalities, perhaps a little smoke (or perhaps not). I have never seen a problem from this.

This assumes no more than 1 queen in the mix.


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## rdimanin (Jan 17, 2020)

bushpilot said:


> When I need to combine, I just do it. No fuss or formalities, perhaps a little smoke (or perhaps not). I have never seen a problem from this.
> 
> This assumes no more than 1 queen in the mix.


I have found the same thing to be true. I make up my nucs by putting frames from different hives into a nuc or queen castle & have never seen any fighting etc. In fact, the commercial people make up nucs this way & experience no problems with fighting etc. When I first started beekeeping, I was told to use the newspaper method to combine & thought it was gospel. I thought this was true until I had to make a combine but didn't have any newspaper available. I made the combine & everything worked out well for me. Your mileage, however, may vary.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

It is almost easier to just say when/what NOT to combine or be really careful about it.
For example, you need to be careful when need to combine two strong colonies while in summer dearth.

Otherwise it is much noise over nothing.

Virtually yesterday I just combined two swarms that appeared to be queen-less OR with drone-laying "whatever" in them both.
I simply shook them both onto the ground in front of an empty hive with few frames with some honey and a chunk of donated open brood/eggs.
Took away their original hives and all their possessions so they have nothing to cling to.
They really have nothing to fight over when kicked out onto the street.
Done.


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## Newbeek2021 (May 13, 2021)

Homewrecker.....


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Newbeek2021 said:


> Homewrecker.....


Kicking the bees out of their home is a very effective tool and is rather a routine (or it should be).
There is nothing to be afraid of.


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## GFWestTexas (Jul 10, 2021)

GregV said:


> Kicking the bees out of their home is a very effective tool and is rather a routine (or it should be).
> There is nothing to be afraid of.


Is one of my favorite for laying workers exactly as you described above, all laying worker brood frames to the freezer for 24-48 hrs, new queen, some honey, capped, and fresh brood, shake them on the ground in front of the new hive and let them all herd in when they smell the brood. The easiest and surest way I know of to fix a laying worker.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

GFWestTexas said:


> Is one of my favorite for laying workers exactly as you described above, all laying worker brood frames to the freezer for 24-48 hrs, new queen, some honey, capped, and fresh brood, shake them on the ground in front of the new hive and let them all herd in when they smell the brood. The easiest and surest way I know of to fix a laying worker.


Right.
But in this case I am talking in the context of combining (it just so happened I also had issues with drone laying - so I went for a double-whammy).


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