Q- colony options

[Vanterrier]

One of my three National colonies is now Q- and I have decided not to buy a mated Q replacement.
There's some good sealed worker brood and stores in the Q- hive along with a sealed QC.
Should I make up a nuc for the new Q with plenty brood and food.
Or
Should I leave her to emerge in the original hive this late in the season.
I'm guessing that either way I will need to unite with another colony later...
I would be happy to go into winter with just two colonies.
What would you recommend?
K

 

[Erichalfbee]

Leave her in the hive and see how she turns out. Even if you make a nuc up for her and unite the rest of the bees you still have that extra colony.
If you’re dead set against having the spare hive remove the queen cell and unite now.

 

[Vanterrier]

Thanks

No I'm not dead set against having a third colony, in fact I removed another sealed QC and put it in an Apidea with a cup full of syrupy bees as an experiment for me and insurance if she emerges too.
I just thought it would be late for the colony to get strong again before winter...
I suppose I might get some honey from the bees who will soon have no brood to look after until the new Q starts laying.
K

 

[Sutty]

Either before emergence or after she starts laying you could bolster them from a strong colony either by donating frames of brood or by swapping their positions (if a flow on)

 

[Vanterrier]

As it was a strong colony I was thinking that if I went for the nuc now option I could actually donate brood to the other colonies boosting them...
I reckon the nuc would be pretty crowded with the number of bees though, so I think Dani's suggestion to leave her where she is, is what I will do.
Thanks for the suggestion.
K

 

[Sutty]

If your apidea QC emerges & gets mated too you could make a nuc with her - that way you have 2 queens building up, easy to then unite later so they are strong for winter.