Advice needed for wintering

[Islandbees]

Just back from 2 weeks away and have been to check my hives today. I just have the 2 which have never really got going after an AS due to the poor weather we've had.
The AS colony has last years queen, the bees are on 5 frames in total, 2 BIAS, 2 fairly full frames of stores but not all capped and a half drawn out frame.
The original colony has a newly mated queen (been laying approx 3 weeks), the bees are on 6 frames, 2 frames brood mostly sealed with few eggs and larvae, they have 1 frame of stores and the other 3 frames are drawn out empty stores.

My question is what I should do for overwintering. What do other keepers think is the best option? Should I put them both into 2 seperate 6 frame nucs? Leave them where they are and dummy them down? Or unite?
Thanks in advance

 

[snelgrove]

I think the safest option would be to unite with newspaper and keep the young queen, after a few days place all brood in one box and reduce to single brood. Then feed with thymol syrup

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you want to keep both queens then put each colony in a poly nuc
Your AS should have done better and I personally would unite, keeping the old queen ....but then I have more than 2 hives.

 

[Islandbees]

Thanks for the advice. As you both suggested the unite seems the safest bet. While we're on the subject though, if you have bees on say 6 frames and decided to put them in a poly nuc. Would 6 frames of stores be enough for the bees over winter? Does the colony size, in terms of frames, suggest the amount of stores needed e.g. 4 frames of bees require 4 frames of stores?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You need room for brood going into winter and empty cells for the bees to cluster.
I'd be happy with four frames of stores in a six frame nuc.
I would close the floor as well.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Your AS should have done better and I personally would unite, keeping the old queen ....but then I have more than 2 hives.

No no....I meant the new queen!!!

 

[Islandbees]

Thanks ericA