Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Jen on April 26, 2014, 06:43:42 pm
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Just placed the parent hive back outside with a feeder jar and new installed queen. After two visual inspections and a shake down we found no queen. The bees have been thru a lot. Murphy was at it with unexpected company and some family issues, so the hive was opened closed opened closed. I was under the gun cause the queen shouldn't stay in their cage for more than 2-4 days. I am keeping her hydrated.
My question is, I want to combine the swarmy medium with this parent hive and forgot to put it on after I buttoned up the hive for 4-5 days. This is the medium that swarmed 4 days ago and we shut the door on them. I want to go thru this medium and de-queen it today and combine it with the parent hive before it swarms again, and it will! But now that I've got the new caged queen installed I don't know if I should attempt the combine.
If I put this swarmy medium back out in the yard it will no doubt swarm again. Trying to beat the clock.
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Everything I've ever read says to disturb the bees as little as possible, while they are getting used to their queen. So I'd say: one thing at a time. Combine in 7 to 10 days, once your new queen has started laying.
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Thanks Pete, :) that feels right to me as well, just checking.