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🫶🏻 Join colonies

🎯 Purpose​

Merge two colonies into one stronger hive while keeping complete digital records. Perfect for strengthening weak colonies before winter, managing queen genetics, or consolidating your apiary.

🎭 User Story​

  • As a beekeeper managing multiple colonies
  • I want to merge two hives together with full control over queen management
  • So that I can strengthen weak colonies, prepare for winter, or manage genetics while preserving all historical data

🚀 Key Benefits​

  • Visual Comparison: See both hives side-by-side with bee counts and queen details before merging
  • Queen Control: Choose which queen survives - both queens, target queen, or source queen
  • Smart Automation: System automatically handles box movement and structural elements
  • Complete History: Track all merges with dates, types, and clickable links between hives
  • Easy Navigation: Merged hives stay visible with clear status indicators
  • Data Preservation: All box data, frames, and inspection history maintained

💡 Common Scenarios​

Strengthen Before Winter You have a weak colony that won't survive winter alone. Merge it with a stronger hive to boost bee population and food stores, giving both colonies a better survival chance.

Manage Queen Loss A colony lost its queen and can't raise a new one. Merge it with a queen-right colony to save the bees and their resources rather than letting them dwindle.

Consolidate Your Apiary Reduce hive count before moving to a new location or scaling down operations. Combine colonies strategically while keeping all historical data for future reference.

🎓 How to Use​

1. Open the Merge Dialog​

  1. Navigate to the hive you want to merge (source hive)
  2. Click "Join Colony" button
  3. Modal opens showing your current hive on the left

2. Select Target Hive​

  • View list of available hives in your apiary
  • See bee counts and queen details for each option
  • Click your desired target hive
  • Compare both hives side-by-side

3. Choose Queen Management Strategy​

Click the toggle button between hive panels to select:

🎲 Both Queens (+) - Let them fight naturally, strongest survives

  • Best when you're unsure which queen is better
  • Natural selection determines the winner

➡️ Target Queen - Keep target queen, remove source queen before merge

  • Best when target has younger or better genetics
  • Predictable outcome, controlled genetics

⬅️ Source Queen - Keep source queen, remove target queen before merge

  • Best when source has younger or better genetics
  • Predictable outcome, controlled genetics

4. Complete the Merge​

  1. Review both hive details one last time
  2. Click "Join Colonies" button
  3. System automatically moves boxes and updates records
  4. You're redirected to the merged target hive

5. View Results​

  • Source hive: Marked as "merged", grayed out in apiary list, shows link to target
  • Target hive: Active with all boxes combined, shows merge history with dates
  • All inspection and frame data preserved in both hives

⚙️ What Happens Behind the Scenes​

The system intelligently handles the merge:

  • Box Movement: Brood boxes and supers move to target hive, placed on top
  • Structural Elements: Bottom boards and entrance gates stay with source hive
  • Data Preservation: All frames, photos, and inspection history maintained
  • Status Updates: Source hive marked as "merged", target stays active
  • History Tracking: Complete merge timeline with dates and queen decisions

Last Updated: December 5, 2025

⚠️ Important Considerations​

Irreversible Operation:

  • ⚠️ Merge cannot be undone
  • Boxes are permanently moved
  • Source hive marked as merged
  • Plan carefully before confirming

Validation Rules:

  • Both hives must exist and belong to same user
  • Both hives must be in same apiary
  • Source hive cannot already be merged or collapsed
  • Target hive must have space (box positions available)
  • Merge type must be valid (one of three options)

Physical Merge Steps: The digital merge in the app represents the logistics. Physical colony merge requires:

  1. Choose merge method (newspaper, direct, etc.)
  2. Remove or cage queen as per chosen merge type
  3. Physically combine boxes as indicated in app
  4. Monitor colony for acceptance (3-7 days)
  5. Check for fighting or rejection signs
  6. Confirm single queen after merge

🎯 Use Cases​

1. Strengthen Weak Colony

  • Source: Weak colony (1000 bees)
  • Target: Strong colony (5000 bees)
  • Merge type: Target queen (→)
  • Result: 6000 bee colony with strong queen

2. Combine Before Winter

  • Source: Small late-season split
  • Target: Established colony
  • Merge type: Both queens (+)
  • Result: Strong overwintering colony

3. Replace Old Queen

  • Source: Colony with new queen (2024)
  • Target: Colony with old queen (2021)
  • Merge type: Source queen (←)
  • Result: Colony with young queen genetics

4. Consolidate Apiaries

  • Multiple weak colonies in apiary
  • Merge several into fewer strong colonies
  • Keep best queens via targeted merges
  • Result: Fewer, stronger colonies

🔗 Related Features​

  • Split Colony: Opposite operation - create new hive from existing one
  • Collapse Hive: Mark inactive/dead colony (different from merge)
  • Delete Hive: Permanently remove hive record
  • Inspections: Track colony before/after merge

📝 Best Practices​

Before Merging:

  • ✅ Check both queens if keeping specific one
  • ✅ Assess colony strength and bee populations
  • ✅ Consider time of year (best in late summer/fall)
  • ✅ Plan physical merge method
  • ✅ Have equipment ready (newspaper, spray bottle, etc.)

During Merge:

  • ✅ Complete digital merge in app first
  • ✅ Follow physical merge procedure
  • ✅ Use newspaper method for gradual acceptance
  • ✅ Minimize disturbance to bees
  • ✅ Close hive quickly after combining

After Merging:

  • ✅ Monitor for 3-7 days for acceptance
  • ✅ Check for single queen after merge
  • ✅ Watch for fighting or rejection signs
  • ✅ Assess food stores (combined colony needs more)
  • ✅ Create inspection to document results
  • ✅ Delete merged source hive after confirming success (optional)

🐛 Troubleshooting​

"No other hives available"

  • Need at least 2 hives in same apiary
  • Create another hive or move hive to apiary with others

"Invalid merge type"

  • Ensure one of three options selected
  • Refresh page and try again

"Source hive not found"

  • Hive may have been deleted
  • Check hive ownership

Boxes not moving as expected:

  • BOTTOM and GATE boxes always stay in source
  • This is intended behavior
  • Other boxes should move to target

Can't find merged hive:

  • Merged hives appear grayed out in apiary list
  • Use search or filter by status
  • Check target hive's "Merged from" section for link

📚 Technical Resources​

Implementation Files:

  • Backend: swarm-api/graph/schema.resolvers.go (JoinHives mutation)
  • Backend: swarm-api/graph/model/hive.go (MarkAsMerged, GetMergedFromHives)
  • Backend: swarm-api/graph/model/box.go (MoveBoxesToHive, GetBoxesByTypeForHive)
  • Frontend: web-app/src/page/hiveEdit/JoinColonyModal.tsx
  • Frontend: web-app/src/page/hiveEdit/JoinColonyModal.module.less
  • Migration: swarm-api/migrations/20251205130000_add_hive_merge_tracking.sql