Rules and terms for uniting bee colonies before a bribe

In order for the apiary to develop normally, it is important to strengthen bee colonies. This is done by combining with more productive cuttings or returning the emerging swarm. But when strangers live in the same territory, the threat of hostility between insects increases. This phenomenon can be prevented by properly uniting bee families before the bribe. It is important to strictly adhere to the main recommendations for the procedure.

Reasons why beekeepers unite

By connecting bee families, it is possible to solve the following problems:

• adjust and provide assistance to weak families;
• create honey families or attach the shoots to the maternal ones.

This process is considered complex and time-consuming. The main difficulties lie in the fact that bees react aggressively to representatives of other families. They determine the identity of insects by scent.

The key factor when joining families is the time of year. At the same time, at the beginning of spring, bees are open to replenishment, rarely fly out of the hive and quickly remember the location of the new bee nest. Insects do not have a distinct odor, so it is much easier to combine them.

To combine 2 houses, you just need to move the frames with insects to a common hive. After this, the inhabitants of the hive themselves will decide who will be the queen in the new family. Even if two different houses already had selected queens, one of them could become a drone. In such a situation, it is worth removing the individual from the mass of insects. If both queens are competent, the bees themselves can make the choice.

Methods for connecting bee colonies

There are many ways to unite bee colonies. This helps every beekeeper choose the most suitable one.

Using cologne or perfume

Perfume is often used to connect bee colonies. Cologne is also used for this purpose. These products are suitable for making aromatic syrup. Both families are sprayed with it to get the same smell.

Using a newspaper

This method is often used in Siberia, since many honey plants there bloom early. Families can be united using this method in mid-September. In this case, one of the hives needs to be moved every 2-3 days closer to the future common house. The house is moved 1 meter at a time.In this case, it must be rotated 30 degrees each time.

It is important to remove the queen a couple of hours before the union. To avoid pathologies, it is recommended to disinfect both houses. On the hive of individuals that are considered stronger, it is worth putting an ordinary newspaper. It is recommended to install a house for weak offspring on top.

For a drink

To unite bees before honey collection, both families need to be sprinkled with vodka or moonshine. It is also permissible to use alcohol for this purpose. At the same time, you don’t have to be afraid that insects or honey will suffer. This method does not harm anyone.

Using this method helps soak the insects in alcohol. This makes it difficult for them to determine where their own bees are and where other people’s bees are. So, to unite families in this way, it is recommended to do the following:

1. Remove the lid from each hive and remove the magazines.
2. Lightly fumigate the bees with smoke to prevent them from biting.
3. Sprinkle both hives with plenty of alcohol or vodka.
4. Install stores.
5. Cover with a roof.

In the absence of fights and dead bees, insects begin to intensively ventilate the room to remove the smell of fusel from the frames and honeycombs. At this time, they themselves are saturated with this aroma. Therefore, gatekeepers cannot distinguish their own bees from others.

Basic Rules

In order for the union of bees to be successful, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Carry out work late in the evening. This should be done in warm and dry weather.
2. Before the procedure, feed the bees.
3. Treat insects with the same scent.
4. Deposit the uterus or cover it with a protective cap.
5. Connect a weak family with a strong one.

Uniting families at different times of the year

It is permissible to unite bee colonies at different times of the year. At the same time, the procedure is characterized by its own characteristics.

in spring

At the beginning of spring, any high-quality replenishment will bring great benefits to the bee colony. At this time of year, insects easily remember the location of their new home. Therefore, it is worth moving all the frames with bees to the new hive. At the beginning of spring, families do not yet have their own smell and instinct to protect the premises. If you connect bee colonies, new individuals immediately begin to work.

In summer

At this time of year, bee colonies have managed to increase their potential. Therefore, they should be united to form honey families. To do this, it is recommended to place a newspaper in the hive between the two buildings. Gradually, the insects will gnaw through the paper and unite. This pooling method helps to significantly increase bribes.

in autumn

Bee colonies often have to be united in the fall. This helps make them stronger. At this time of year the process looks the same as in the summer. It is important to take precautions. It is worth considering that it is better to lose a queenless colony than a good quality queen.

Precautionary measures

In order for the unification of bee colonies to be successful, it is important to adhere to the following rules and recommendations:

1. Work should be carried out in the late afternoon, when most of the bees are in the hives and their activity is greatly reduced. Experienced beekeepers advise performing the procedure from 18 to 20.
2. It is recommended to relocate individuals only in good, clear weather. Poor conditions cause fights between bees, which prevents the desired results.
3. Before moving in, the bees should be given the same scent. This improves their adaptation to each other. It is also important to consider that bees feel their honeycombs and behave calmer on them.
4. Experienced beekeepers always feed bee colonies before joining. In this case, before carrying out the operation, it is worth blowing a little on the insects with a smoker. In this case, they fill their proboscis with honey and become calmer. In addition, bees with a full crop of honey are more readily accepted into other people's hives.
5. Before uniting the bees, the queen should be kept under a hood or a Titov cage should be used for this purpose. Thanks to this, you can be sure that after different bee colonies are united, the queen will be alive and will be accepted into the family.
6. It is always necessary to move a weak family to a stronger one. Only in this case does its subsequent development occur. A strong family cannot be transferred to a weak one.

It is strictly forbidden to unite a sick family with a healthy one. In this case, the process will end with the bees becoming infected. Also, you should not combine insects of different species. It is permissible to combine bees of the same breed.

The unification of bee colonies before the bribe is considered an important process. It helps make them stronger and significantly increase the amount of honey. Today there are many effective ways of combining, which differ depending on the seasonal factor and the devices used. Thanks to this, each beekeeper can choose the most suitable option.