# Should I combine my two hives or not?



## BadBeeKeeper (Jan 24, 2015)

I don't know how much different it might be in TN than ME, but here, softball size before Winter is done for. I don't think they would stand a chance even if they were combined. Maybe someone in your area can offer a more favorable opinion.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

To share in the heat, I'll bet that in TN it is cold during the winter time, you
can have a side-by-side double nuc, double queen set up. Put a divider in the middle of the
10 frame hive box. Then transfer the bees and frames including the queen into
the left side of the box. Then do it for the right side for the 2nd nuc hive. Close up the hive entrance
in the middle only leaving 2 small hive entrances at either right and left corner of the hive box so that
the 2 colonies can fly out. So keep the 2 colonies separated but in the same 10 frame box. 
If 1 did not make it then you can pull out the divider to combine them later on. Keep them stock with
foods going through this long winter.


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## Redhawk (Jun 7, 2016)

Thanks. Winters aren't too bad here. But we can get down in the teens for a few days. I like the 10 frame nuc idea. Could be the best for both. I was thinking (that's dangerous for me) about wrapping them too. Wouldn't hurt. Thanks guys.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

It's too small, wrapping won't help one bit. You need heat for wrapping to work, that many bees won't make much heat. Combining them would still be too small to survive, temperatures in the teens will get them.

This is what I did and had great success;
I would combine them and garage them. IMO that's their only chance and only if there are healthy and mite free, with out other problems and not a weak dwindling population. 

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?295359-Over-Wintering-in-the-Garage-Update

Here's how I would combine; 

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?330787-Laying-Worker-Easy-Fix


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

I dunno some bees prefer a small cluster. I'm assuming you don't treat, and sometimes they shrink too much because of mites, but I'd insulate them well and just take my chances with both.


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

I've seen suggestions to use aquarium heaters to boost the temperature over winter. This might be a viable option.


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

Want to keep them warm? - Get some of those pipe heater cords and install under the hive wrap. I thank they call them pipe wraps? Anyway its those 50 foot strings you plug in to keep the pipes from freezing


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

You tube has some vids on heating the hive underneath during the cold
winter months. The 7 watt bulbs will do. Ebay has some small critter heat matt also 7
watt. Maybe amazon has it too? After the side-by-side combine and heating them should take them through
the winter. Of course, the mites are clean up and plenty of winter foods for them too. Honey frames on top and
brood nest at bottom with a small heat matt under the hive.


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## Redhawk (Jun 7, 2016)

Thanks again, folks. More good ideas. Sak, those water line heaters are called heat tapes & I just happen to have one. I got into the hives yesterday & what I saw made my decision for me. The nuc I purchased this spring was still dwindling. They are healthy enough & keeping the hive beetles at bay. Quite a bit of stores left. But I couldn't find the queen. The cut out I did this summer is thriving. Plenty of stores with very few hive beetles, & 8 frames of bees. I went ahead & set the weak hive on top of the stronger one & gave them a sports page to read. I'd rather have one stronger hive then risk losing one & being left with a smaller one to start the spring off with.


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Fusion_power said:


> I've seen suggestions to use aquarium heaters to boost the temperature over winter. This might be a viable option.


I've done it and it works great, kept two small hive alive one year, the following years I garaged them also with great success. Kept many hives alive that would have otherwise froze. An under tank heater and a thermacell on at 30 deg off at 45 deg or something close (cheap on amazon). (also search "thermacell" on beesource). It can help but I don't think this small of a cluster could keep up with single digit temperature, not enough bees to generate enough heat. As winter progresses a small portion of bees dies of old age every day, as it get colder the cluster gets smaller.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Good idea on giving them something to read. In such a cold climate as yours I would
do the same thing. It is better than baby sitting them all winter long. When you have more
hives then you can even out the hive population by donating frame of bees to the weaker colony.
That is why 3-10 hives will be normal for a hive manipulation just in case. Since I want more queens
alive over the winter for a quick Spring expansion when nobody would sell me their queens that early, I have
to overwinter them in smaller nucs 5x5. In your case, don't worry with or without a queen now they will sort
things out, hopefully sparing the new queen. Do a hive check if you can to see that they still have a queen inside in a day or 2. This will ensure that there is a mated queen inside through this winter.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Redhawk said:


> Re: Should I combine my two hives or not?


There are trade offs, but all things considered, I would not combine the two hives.


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