Re-combining swarms.  Due to my inexperience in beekeeping, and especially southern beekeeping, I induced a swarm from a nuc that I had recently purchased.  I was ignorant of the honey flow around here early in the season and allowed the nuc to become packed with honey.  By the time I discovered it, the colony was making their own plans.  The colony was placed in a standard deep with what I thought was plenty of room, but the queen cells I noticed at that time told the tale.  I destroyed them at the time I moved the bees into their new digs, but as I have read in a number of spaces, they had made up their minds and were leaving.  Sure enough, the next day they were off!

Well, as much as I was kicking myself for my sloppy beekeeping, I was very pleased that they chose to issue forth right in front of me!  It was incredible.  I waited till they settled on a branch and re-hived them.  Re-hiving a swarm is definitely a terrific experience.  They are drinking syrup and pulling foundation with great speed.  The group they left behind is doing well also.  Both groups cover approximately 4-5 frames.

I would prefer not to make any increases at this time and would like to re-combine the colonies.  I was originally thinking about finding the new queen, if I did not kill her when removing cells, and eliminating her (the old queen is still young and produces fine brood, and I hold myself accountable for the swarming, not her genetics and such) as she may not be of the finest quality.  Then I was going to use the newspaper method to re-combine.

My concern is that there will be 4-5 complete frames in the upper and lower boxes, and 4-5 partially drawn frames in each box, i.e. foundation below part of the brood nest.  I am told that this is a no-no.  Of course I could always come back in a week or so later and move the frames around so as to have the least drawn frames up in the upper box.

Any comments? or advice?

Keith