In a message dated 97-03-30 22:41:08 EST, you write:
 
<< Now there are still a lot of bees in the hive but unless queened, it is
 doomed.  I bought a new nuc and installed it in another nearby hive.  The
 question I have is can I sucessfully place the old hive on top of the new
 hive and in that way save the old existing workforce.  Or would I be
 better to just let the old one die out or possibly dump the old bees on
 the ground outside the new hive and it they go in and are accepted so
 much the better.  I am concerned about just placing the old hive on the
 new in case the old hive workers want to do in the new hive's queen.  >>
 
    Whether the bees in the queenless hive would hurt the young queen mostly
depends on whether their bellies are full.  You can take care of that.  If
there is a flow, just combine them.  If there is not, slop some syrup around
the top bars, then combine them.  Use a newspaper between them, if you are
still worried.  They'll chew up the newspaper and combine at leisure.
 
   Or you can dump the queenless hive's bees out, and use the box as a super
on the good one.  If there still is drone brood, make sure there is a crack,
or set the super a bit off kilter, so the drones can escape.   If they can't
dead drones may clog up the excluder.   The old bees will go to their former
site, but, if it's not more than a few feet, they will find their new home.
 
   [log in to unmask]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC
29554        (Dave & Jan's Pollination Service,  Pot o'Gold Honey Co.)
 
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