Should I combine?

[Do224]

I’ve got a colony that’s never really got going. It was a swarm that arrived in a bait hive in early July. I put it in a hive with all drawn comb and it covered 7 frames. It still covers 7 frames. They’re extremely dark bees.

I have a nuc I could combine with the hive if it’s not too late in the year to do so. Is this the best plan? I guess I would keep the queen from the nuc and squash the other

 

[The Poot]

I’ve got a colony that’s never really got going. It was a swarm that arrived in a bait hive in early July. I put it in a hive with all drawn comb and it covered 7 frames. It still covers 7 frames. They’re extremely dark bees.

I have a nuc I could combine with the hive if it’s not too late in the year to do so. Is this the best plan? I guess I would keep the queen from the nuc and squash the other

I’d leave them alone; do what I can to get them through the Winter and let them surprise me in the Spring.

 

[enrico]

I’d leave them alone; do what I can to get them through the Winter and let them surprise me in the Spring.

if you think they are both viable to get through the winter then don't combine. you never know what spring will bring with queenless hives!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve got a colony that’s never really got going. It was a swarm that arrived in a bait hive in early July. I put it in a hive with all drawn comb and it covered 7 frames. It still covers 7 frames. They’re extremely dark bees.

I have a nuc I could combine with the hive if it’s not too late in the year to do so. Is this the best plan? I guess I would keep the queen from the nuc and squash the other

I would dummy them down with insulation to those frames and assess in spring

 

[ericbeaumont]

swarm ... put it in a hive with all drawn comb and it covered 7 frames. It still covers 7 frames

May have had a slow start if it superseded an old swarm queen; may have been retarded by a lack of income in August which would otherwise have kept the queen laying; may have been better off to begin with in a compact 6f nuc than rattling about in a BB. All in all, stick it in a 6f nuc and watch it grow in spring.