How to Safely Combine Beehives and Merge Colonies for a Stronger Overwintering Hive
As a beekeeper, one of the most important tasks you'll face in Autumn is preparing your colonies for the long, harsh winter months ahead. While strong, healthy hives have the best chance of surviving the cold, sometimes you may encounter a weaker colony that's at risk of collapse. In these cases, merging that struggling hive with a stronger one can be a game-changer, consolidating resources, population, and honey stores to create a single, thriving colony primed for overwintering.
In this in-depth guide, we'll walk through the step-by-step process of safely combining beehives using the tried-and-true newspaper method. You'll learn why merging colonies is so beneficial, how to evaluate your hives to determine the best approach, and all the tips and tricks to ensure a smooth, successful transition. Plus, I will also cover when it's best to NOT your colonies of bees. By the end, you'll have the knowledge and confidence to strengthen your apiary and set your bees up for a productive, overwintering season.
Why Merge Bee Colonies?
There are several key reasons why beekeepers choose to combine hives in the fall:
Strengthen Weak or Queenless Colonies: If you have a hive that's struggling, whether due to a failing queen, or other issues, merging it with a stronger, healthier colony can dramatically improve its chances of survival over the winter.
Consolidate Resources: By bringing two colonies together, you're able to pool their collective resources - including honey stores, pollen, and worker bees - creating a more robust hive that's better equipped to weather the cold months ahead.
Boost Population for Thermoregulation: One of the biggest challenges bees face in winter is generating enough heat to keep the hive warm. A larger population means more bees can work together to maintain the optimal temperature, improving the colony's overall chances of overwintering successfully.
Improve Queen Acceptance: If one of your colonies is queenless, merging it with a queenright hive gives the bees a healthy, productive queen to rally around, helping to stabilise the combined colony.
Ultimately, combining hives is a strategic move that allows you to consolidate your apiary's resources and set your bees up for the best possible chance of survival. And as an added bonus, you may even see increased honey production from the strengthened, merged colony the following season.
When is the Best Time to Merge Beehives?
While hive merging can be done at various points throughout the year, early to mid-fall is generally considered the optimal time. As the weather starts to cool and daylight hours decrease, bees begin their preparations for winter, making this period a critical juncture for colony management. Merging in the fall gives the newly combined hive several key advantages:
Time to Acclimate: The bees will have several weeks to adjust to their new hive mates and queen before the harsh winter sets in, helping to ensure a smooth, successful transition. Always do it when mated queens are still available to buy (mid Sept in UK)
Increased Stores: By consolidating the honey and pollen reserves from both colonies, the merged hive will have ample resources to sustain itself through the long, food-scarce winter months.
Stronger Population: A larger bee population means more bodies to maintain the hive's internal temperature, a crucial factor for overwintering survival.
That said, there may be instances where merging makes sense at other times of the year. For example, if you have a queenless hive in the spring, combining it with a queenright colony can help stabilise the population and ensure the successful rearing of a new queen. Just be sure to carefully evaluate the specific needs and conditions of your hives before deciding on the best course of action.
Evaluating Your Hives for Merging
Before you begin the merging process, it's important to thoroughly assess the health and status of both the "host" colony (the stronger hive that will remain) and the "guest" colony (the weaker hive that will be merged in). This will help you determine the best approach and ensure a smooth, successful transition.
Here are the key factors to consider when evaluating your hives:
Colony Strength and Population
Take a close look at the size and activity level of each colony. The host hive should be a strong, thriving colony with a healthy, productive queen and a robust population of worker bees. In contrast, the guest colony may be smaller, with fewer bees and potentially a failing or absent queen. Always ensure you kill the failing queen in the guest colony prior to merger.
Brood and Honey Stores
Inspect the frames in each hive, looking for the presence of brood in all stages (eggs, larvae, and capped brood) as well as adequate honey and pollen stores. The host colony should have ample resources to support the merged population, while the guest colony may be lacking in these critical areas.
Queen Status
Determine whether each hive has a laying, mated queen. If the guest colony is queenless, merging it with the queenright host hive will provide the bees with a strong, productive queen to rally around. However, if both colonies have queens, you'll need to remove the weaker one before combining the hives. I like to find the queen in the guest hive and cage her and place between brood frames for the merger. This ensures the guest bees don't kill her upon merger.
Signs of Disease or Pests
Carefully inspect both colonies for any indications of disease, parasites, or other issues that could compromise the health of the merged hive. Diseases like American foulbrood or Varroa mite infestations should be addressed before attempting to combine the colonies.
Once you've thoroughly evaluated your hives, you can make an informed decision about which colony will serve as the host and which will be the guest. This will guide the specific steps you'll take to safely merge the two colonies together. Never EVER combine colonies with foulbrood. Call the NBU if you suspect any diseases in your bees for an informed opinion.
The Newspaper Method for Merging Beehives
One of the most widely used and effective techniques for combining hives is the newspaper method. This approach allows the bees time to gradually acclimate to each other's pheromones, reducing the risk of aggressive behaviour and fighting that can occur when colonies are suddenly forced to coexist. Here's a step-by-step guide to merging hives using the newspaper method:
Step 1: Prepare the Host Colony
Begin by ensuring the host colony is ready to receive the new bees. If the entrance is particularly large, consider reducing it to a smaller size to help the bees defend the hive more effectively. You can also place a queen excluder at the entrance to prevent the potential introduction of a new, competing queen or missed virgin. Remove the roof and crown board. Supers should be removed and extracted in advance of merger. Place host hive queen in sealed cage with candy and place in between brood frames.
Step 2: Create a Newspaper Barrier
Lay several sheets of newspaper over the top of the host colony's brood boxes. Use your hive tool to poke a few small holes in the paper, allowing for some scent exchange between the two colonies but not enough for immediate contact and potential fighting.
Step 3: Add the Guest Colony
Carefully place the entire guest colony, including its brood boxes and frames, directly on top of the newspaper barrier. This will create a physical separation between the two hives while still allowing the bees to gradually become accustomed to each other's pheromones.
Step 4: Monitor and Manage the Transition
Over the course of the next few days, the bees will chew through the newspaper, gradually merging the two colonies into one. During this time, keep a close eye on the hive, watching for any signs of aggression or stress. If you notice excessive fighting or a high number of dead bees, you may need to intervene. After one week, I go back in and release the tabs on the queens cage and let them eat through the candy/fondant plug.
Step 5: Finalise the Merge
Once the newspaper has been fully chewed through and the bees have had time to mingle, you can remove any remaining barriers between the two colonies. The merged hive should now function as a single, cohesive unit, with the host queen leading the way.
Be sure to monitor the hive closely for the first week or two after the merge, watching for any signs of queen rejection or other issues. With a little patience and careful management, your newly combined colony should settle in and thrive.
After 2 weeks, inspect the colony and if you see eggs, the merger was successful. If you don't see eggs, I would close them up and inspect again in 2 days. If still no eggs, you can assume the colony is queenless and inspect the frames for emergency cells. Remove ALL the cells and you can then add a new mated queen. Available below if required but I generally have very good success with this method and I'm sure you will find eggs if done correctly.
Additional Tips for a Successful Hive Merger
While the newspaper method is a reliable way to merge colonies, there are a few additional tips and techniques that can help ensure a smooth, stress-free transition for your bees:
Use Smoke Sparingly
While smoke can be a useful tool for calming bees during hive inspections, it's best to use it sparingly when merging colonies. Too much smoke can interfere with the bees' pheromone communication, which is crucial for a successful merger.
Consider Timing and Weather
Aim to perform your hive merge on a warm, sunny day when the bees are most active. Avoid cold, rainy, or windy conditions, as these can cause added stress and make it harder for the bees to acclimate to their new hive mates.
Relocate the Guest Colony
If possible, move the guest colony to a new location, a few meters away from the host hive, before shaking the bees out. This helps reinforce the idea that the host colony is the new "home" for the merged bees and helps remove some of the old, more aggressive bees before merger.
Remove Excess Honey Stores
If the guest colony has a significant amount of excess honey stores, consider extracting some of it before the merge. This will prevent the host colony from becoming overwhelmed with an influx of resources, which could lead to issues like robbing or swarming.
Monitor for Queen Acceptance
Keep a close eye on the merged hive in the days and weeks following the combination. Watch for signs that the bees have accepted the host queen, such as the presence of new eggs and larvae. If you notice any issues, you may need to intervene by introducing a new, mated queen.
By following these additional tips and best practices, you can help ensure a smooth, successful merger that sets your combined colony up for a strong, healthy overwintering period.
Sometimes It's Best To NOT Merge Your Bees
Merging your weak colonies isn't always the right answer. If the colony is too weak, has turned into a laying worker or is just full drones, it's best to leave the colony to safely dwindle and not risk merging them. Check out this video to see what I mean:
Frequently Asked Questions About Merging Beehives
What if both hives have queens?
If both the host and guest colonies have laying queens, you'll need to remove the weaker queen before merging the hives. This prevents the bees from engaging in a potentially deadly battle for dominance, allowing the stronger queen to be accepted by the combined colony.
Is there a risk of disease spread?
Yes, there is a risk of disease or pest transmission when merging hives, especially if one colony is already compromised. Always thoroughly inspect both colonies for signs of issues like American foulbrood, Varroa mites, or other problems before attempting to combine them. If either hive shows signs of disease, it's best to address those concerns first before proceeding with the merge. If in doubt, DO NOT MERGE YOUR BEES.
How long should I wait before checking the combined hive?
After the bees have chewed through the newspaper barrier and fully integrated, it's generally recommended to wait about a week before conducting your first inspection of the merged colony. This gives the bees time to settle in, accept the new queen, and establish a cohesive social structure.
Can I use this method if one hive is much stronger than the other?
Yes, the newspaper method works well regardless of the relative strength of the two colonies. The key is to ensure the transition allows the smaller, weaker hive to integrate without overwhelming or stressing the larger, host colony. As long as you've properly evaluated the hives and taken steps to facilitate a smooth merger, the size difference shouldn't be a major issue.
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Conclusion
Merging beehives is a valuable technique that every beekeeper should have in their arsenal. By consolidating weaker or queenless colonies with stronger, healthier hives, you can boost your apiary's overall population, resources, and resilience - setting your bees up for the best possible chance of overwintering survival and future productivity.
Whether you're a seasoned beekeeper or just starting out, mastering the newspaper method for combining colonies is a skill that will serve you well. By carefully evaluating your hives, creating a gradual transition, and following best practices, you can ensure a smooth, successful merger that leaves your bees thriving and primed for the challenges of winter.
So don't hesitate to put this powerful technique to work in your own apiary. With a little preparation and the right approach, you can take your beekeeping to new heights and set your colonies up for long-term success. Happy merging!
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