C. P. Dadant, First Lessons in Beekeeping, Revised Edition, Dadant, 1976

A. A DIAGRAM OF THE WINTER CLUSTER AS SEEN THROUGH A VERITCAL SECTION OF A TWO-STORY HIVE CUT ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE CLUSTER

B. Face view of frames of upper hive body. The numbers indicate the position of the frames. Note how the bees concentrate between combs and in open cells to form a compacy insulating shell around a much less compact head producing center. The band of pollen covered with honey indicates an accumulation of reserve pollen before the honeyflow.

Generally it is better to throw all the strength of two such colonies into one hive by uniting than to try to winter the two misfits. In a honeyflow uniting gives no difficulty. Nectar gathering bees unite very nicely with a minimum of fighting. It is a different matter in the short days of fall. In such a case the two colonies may be united by the newspaper plan.