# Triangle Escape Board For Combining?



## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Has anyone ever tried this? Maybe also with newspaper beneath? My goal is to combine a box of bees and be able to remove the frames and begin paint can feeding once they are mostly out. I imagine if there is brood on some of the frames, it may complicate matters. Concerned if the nurse bees will go down below the board and then can't get back up. J


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I wouldn’t bother. In fact, I believe if there is brood above board, those bees won’t go down. Nor the other way. I would just unite them and rearrange later after they’ve sorted things out. You can use newspaper if you feel it necessary. I do it that way sometimes. I’ve also often united weak colonies directly without paper. I place the lightest box on bottom board, and dose with thick syrup...not so much it runs out the bottom. Enough so they get busy cleaning up the mess. Then the next heaviest box...drizzle syrup on bottom bars so it runs down onto the combs. Place on bottom box. Drizzle on top bars. Repeat with each box. You wind up with lightest boxes on bottom and heaviest boxes on top. I rarely look for the queens, but let them sort it out. If you’ve decided one queen is superior, place her box on top. I sometimes unite several weak colonies at once this way.


----------



## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Excellent. Thank you MP. I have delayed combining this hive because my daughter might need it or its queen. She inspected her hives yesterday and doesn't need it so I was looking for how to do this quickly so I can feed. J


----------



## Robert Holcombe (Oct 10, 2019)

Interesting approach - thanks for the details.


----------



## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

i would think in time the triangle board would work and the brood above it would get chilled due to the 1 way movement of bees.

GG


----------



## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Bees are very reluctant to leave brood above an escape board. Even drone brood


----------



## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

Michael Palmer said:


> Bees are very reluctant to leave brood above an escape board. Even drone brood


Hello Michael!


----------



## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I went ahead and just did a newspaper combine. Two deeps on two hives. In a few days I will reconfigure frames, reduce and start feeding.
I might try the escape board in the future with a broodless hive or maybe just move the brood down before I combine. It would seem to accomplish what newspaper does and would leave you with a box clear of bees. J


----------

