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....
 
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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>