Preparing Weak Hives for Fall and Winter

Odds are, at some point, you will be forced to contend with a weak hive. Going into fall and winter is the worst time for this to happen! A hive may be weak for any number of reasons, with an overpopulation of Varroa mites topping the list. It may seem as though we harp on Varroa mites, but the truth is that they are the most common cause of colony issues! Many studies have been done on whether we are justified in spending the time and energy to nurse a hive back to health. These studies seem, for the most part, to be logic-based: time + expense = result. Most would agree it makes little sense to put time and money into a hive if the result won't be favorable.

Hives Typically Not Worth Saving

• Less than two frames of bees (not enough workers to support even being requeened)
• Widespread evidence of deformed wing virus or other disease(s)
• Queenless long enough to have established laying workers
• Unstoppable robbing (no matter what you do, they keep coming back)
• Inability to keep their box clean (indicates a failing workforce and is typically found with a small population)
• No food (honey or pollen) being brought in or stored (no foragers)

Now might be a good time to tell you what the studies mentioned above revealed. More often than not, hives did not respond favorably to efforts to save them when any of the previous factors were in play. With that in mind, it seems more logical to focus on colonies that are in better health and cut your losses on those that are too far gone.

Hives With a Chance of Being Saved

• More than three frames of bees still performing daily duties, albeit not thriving
• Recently queenless, with a good population and resources continuing to be brought in
• Little deformed wing virus, increased mite load, but no other disease presence

Steps for Repairing a Weak Hive

First efforts in nursing a hive back to health should start with a Varroa test and treatment, if warranted. If you skip this step, you are wasting your time.

• Boost health by applying Super DFM.
• Requeen, if possible.
• Add nurse bees from a healthy hive.
• Combine with a hive of equal or greater strength.
• Feed strategically—feed heavy syrup (2:1 sugar syrup) and keep small amounts of pollen patties on the hive through November.
• Repeat the Varroa test prior to November to ensure low mite loads going into winter.

Combining Colonies

This is a valid recovery method in certain instances. Some hives just can't or won't grow, even when we've done everything right! The only colonies worthy of combining are those that have a low mite load and no sign of disease. Combining hives with high mite loads only perpetuates disease and will often cause even greater issues.

Steps for Combining

• Identify both the weak and receiving hives in your beeyard.
• Ensure low mite counts on both!
• Smoke the entrance to both hives heavily.
• Remove the outer cover from the receiving hive.
• Add feed to the internal feeder (or other feeder) and place a pollen patty on the top bars of that hive.
• Lay a piece of newspaper directly on top of the top bars (over the pollen patty).
• Place the weak hive on top of the stronger hive and return the outer cover. Done!

It is really important to monitor this hive. Go back in a week and verify that the newspaper is chewed through and you still have a laying queen. This gives you the opportunity to change or correct anything if it didn't work. Continue to feed through fall. Odds are in your favor that you'll have a much better hive going into winter!

By Chari Elam

Check out this video from Blake on how to combine weak hives.