Combining

[Jen]

During the bee season, is there a better time than not to combine, spring, summer, fall?

[iddee]

It totally depends on the reason for combining.
Spring for honey production.
Fall for taking winter losses early, and having strong hives for spring.

[Jen]

Iddee ""Fall for taking winter losses early, and having strong hives for spring.""

    You mean boosting up the hive to compensate for winter losses?

[apisbees]

Early spring, if you find a queen less colony combine to put the bee to where the can support a weaker colony to build up.
Any time you want to replace a queen that is getting older a new queen can be raised in a nuc and then combined to requeen the parent colony.
Fall if you find colonies that for some reason are weak in hive population queen is showing poor laying little stores or reserves for winter. If you have a concern that these hives will not make it thru the winter it is recommended to combine so you have the chance to have 1 hive make it thru the winter than have 2 die out. But when it comes to over wintering their are no guarantees.

[Riverrat]

    You mean boosting up the hive to compensate for winter losses?

If you have some weak hives its better to combine in the fall and overwinter a stronger colony than to take 2 weak hives into winter and lose them both.

[iddee]

What Apis and Rat said.

[Jen]

Thanks guys! I'll wait until Fall 

[apisbees]

Jen hives that I would consider combining, and hives that Perry or Riverbee would defiantly combine. Because of your geographical region could easily have those hives survive the winter.

[tbonekel]

Jen, here it is in the middle of a big flow and I have a sad little nuc with no queen. I haven't decided what to do with this one. If it were later in the summer, I might add a frame of bees and eggs. If I decide to combine, I will need to transfer the frames to a deep first, then do a paper combine. That will make one hive 3 deeps and one medium high. That might make it a little tough to do inspections for a while. What I need is to catch a good swarm then put the nuc with those bees but so far that hasn't happened.

[pistolpete]

Jen: a reason for you to combine now would be to increase honey production.  One strong hive will produce more honey than 2 average hives put together.   Since you seem to want to manage for honey production this year, I would say let's evaluate your hives  and maybe combine your 2 weakest ones at this point.    To have a hive produce a good honey crop before the summer drought sets in, you want them to be completely filling two deep boxes this time of year, and just starting on the first super.   If you have irrigated pasture nearby, then you have a little extra time.

[Intheswamp]

tbonekel, how about cutting a  6" by 1/2" strip of brood comb with freshly hatched larvae in it and wedging it in between two frames of honey and pollen and letting that little nuc see if it can raise it's own queen?  Or maybe start it in one of your bigger hives?  Your in the middle of your flow which might be good timing.  I've never done it but sounds like it would be an interesting experiment.   

I want to try making up a couple of nucs after I harvest and will try the either cell punch, cut comb, or Hopkins methods to raise a few queens.  I'll take some larvae from my best colony.  I figure it's worth a shot...if they turn out good I've got some hives to pull resources for nucs from and will have a couple of new hives from my best queen to start the spring with...if they don't turn out good, well...nothing wagered nothing gained.

Ed

[tbonekel]

In a way, that's kind of funny that you say when the summer drought sets in. I recently heard that 100% of California is now in a severe drought. It's really not funny, but I bet this is not going to be a fun summer out there.

[Jen]

tbone- I'm in upper northern California, we've only had three small flo's that I can account for. Most of Cali is now on rationed water. We're letting our lawn go dormant and will just keep feeders out for the bees. I don't think I'll be getting any honey this year :(