Merge or buy in queen

[Beanwood]

Hello all,

I have just proven that one of my hives is Q- (Frame of brood - emergency queen cells built etc)

Now, I'm trying to decide on the best way forwards.The colony is weak, having been Q- for many weeks.

Personally, I think it's too late in the season to think about raising and mating a queen from scratch, which leaves me two obvious choices.

1. Merge with one of my existing colonies. (I have another choice here.)
A) Captured cast swarm - very gentle bees, laying on 2 frames, but not overly prolific.
B) Trapped out bees from a swarm 'next door' - still away for 3 more weeks yet to allow for moving 50metres
C) An 'OK' colony with a queen mated several weeks ago - slightly tetchy - again not laying as quickly as I may have thought.
D) Strong colony, prolific queen, currently filling a super.

OR

2. Purchase a mated queen, (Assuming I can find one) which perhaps would have less swarm tendencies than A and B above, and would be laying well immediately, and hopefully good temperament. I don't see the £30 or so for queen purchase as a significant cost, compared to the rest of the expenditure of starting up this year

I want to go into winter with at least 3 colonies, each as strong as possible.

As always, opinions welcomed.

 

[BeeNice]

It's numbers of bees you need in a strong colony, as long as the hive is Queenless, combine with one of the others to get the bee numbers up and make a strong hive. I wouldn't buy a queen at this time of year as she will have to start laying once you have her and we only have maybe (with the jet stream changing again) a certain number of good weeks left.
regards
Steven

 

[Erichalfbee]

I bought a queen at the end of August last year and got a good colony from her through the winter.

 

[BeeNice]

Well done, but last year was not this year. The colony is weak, and to get a laying queen in and laying well, there may not be enough bees to tend the new brood as the old bees are dying off all the time. Combining makes a strong colony and you can do it right away, after all, you are not saving a weak colony but making a strong one.

 

[oliver90owner]

I would favour 1.A Clearly it needs more bees.

 

[Beanwood]

Thank you all for your responses

The number of bees is what concerns me most immediately, and whilst buying in a prolific queen may be better long term, my thoughts are along the lines of Beenice and O90, because that's going to get me a solid base, and increase my options.
Erichalfbee - why did you decide to buy in, did you not have the option of merging with your own?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thank you all for your responses


Erichalfbee - why did you decide to buy in, did you not have the option of merging with your own?

Like a lot of beginners I started with swarmy bees.
The cynic in me tells me that such bees end up in beginners hives simply because it's easy to make up nucs with bees that like to make more bees and we beginners don't know any better.

One of my colonies tried to swarm four times last year and one of the others went without even making a queen cell.
I ASd myself out of kit and patience. I began to dread my apiary visits, fearful of what I would find next!!!
The Buckies have been gentle and ASd once they have settled down.
All the bees have needed feeding but that's another tale

 

[BDCS]

Swop that colony for the neighbours colony before they come back