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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
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Tue, 4 May 2010 09:10:33 -0600
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If you have good flying weather and especially if a good flow is on, simply 
move the offending hive back twenty or thirty feet or around the house at 
mid-day when the bees are flying, making sure their exit is unrestricted and 
featureless.  This is assuming you have other hives near the bad guy.  I'd 
move one weak one to to where the bad hive was.

You can also just place a second, similar-looking hive close in front of the 
offender when flight (not ply-flight) is maximum, blocking returning flight 
so that the flying bees will enter it.  The decoy should have similar 
entrances and colour and at least some brood.  If it is to build up quickly, 
a queen is a good idea, too.  If the offender is many boxes high, the 
trickster hive should have a few boxes, too.  If you use one bottom entrance 
one or two should work.  If you use top entrances, you are snookered unless 
you use the same number of boxes, since they will not be fooled.

This process will boost the weak hive and deplete the strong one and can be 
repeated several times over weeks until the strong hive is tranquil enough 
to work.  The weak decoy hive(s) should not become particularly mean.

The flying bees are the defensive ones, so getting them gone helps.  That is 
also why beekeepers like to work on hives at mid-day when the foragers are 
out working.

If your hive has gone AHB, though, Bob's advice is good. 

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