>        The newspaper method is a simle
>convenient way to combine colonies. In the case of the wax moth being the
>cause for combining two colonies I would be cautious about bringing the
>attending problems of the weak colony TO the strong colony. It seems
>accepted practice to do this but I again would measure the value of the
>bees to be "rescued">IMHO<marginal gain vs:greater ills. ie: tracheal
>mites,varroa other diseases.....  NOW to the newspaper method.
>NEWSPAPER METHOD
>1. Remove/kill the queen from the weak hive before combining  to your
>strong colony. (presuming the strong colony is with a healthy queen)
>
>2. Remove the cover from your strong colony, smoking the bees down, place
>a sheet of newsprint on the top of the strong hive. (tape it down on the
>sides with some cheap tape if your working alone.) You now have the
>strong colony contained.
>
>3. Just before stacking the queenless hive bodies on the top of the
>newsprint, poke or cut a few small slits in the newsprint (to provide the
>bees a place to begin cutting the newsprint on their own.) small cuts.
>
>4. Replace inner cover/top cover.. go home..say prayer..
>
>        I believe that is it in a nutshell.  The bees will chew the paper
>into little bits and remove them from the hive. Apparently in the
>housekeeping confusion they accept the scent  of the foreign hive that was
>grafted on as OK.
>
>A good reference for some tips aside from the BEE-L are The Hive
>and the Honey Bee.  ABC's and XYZ's of Bee Culture, and a small
>book How to Keep Bees and Sell Honey.
>I wanted to provide these book titles
>for the new beekeeper as
>I personally have found
>them usefull.....
>Merry Christmas,
>God Jul. ..                     Maynard....
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>On Fri, 22 Dec 1995, Peter Plumley wrote:
>
>> I've seen many references to the 'Newspaper Method' of combining hives but
>> have never read about the details.  Can someone elaborate on this method -
>> or refer to a published account?
>>
>> Thanks, PWP>
>
>One other helpful tip when combining the two hives is to spray the
newspaper with sugar water 2 to 1 mix as you perforate the holes. Seems to
mask the phermone scents of the hives and assit the bees in breaking the
barrier.
 
  Bill Kinghorn   Sharabee Apairies Phone 705-689-1310
  RR #1, Severn Bridge,              Fax  705-689-9285
  Ontario, Canada. P0E 1N0