SHB and combining

[AndersMNelson]

Can you combine a new colony with an older one infested with SHB?  I'm wondering if I can take my infested hive in the spring and allow only the bees to move to the new one...

[BjornBee]

I can not see doing that without killing the SHB first, or infesting your other hive. (although your other hive must be doing something right in dealing with them. Otherwise, they would have them also at good levels.)

If you combined with a strong hive, the Strong hive may at least be able to protect the comb IF you did not stretch their numbers to much by expanding the comb area too much. (Freeze and unused comb)

The beetles may be very well concentrating on the weak hive as nature dictates. Take away this weak hive, and the other hive is now the focus. So try to do something about the SHB numbers beyond combining.