Can you move the nuc away 3 miles and then back later, putting on or alongside the hive for a while before putting the frames and bees in a brood box over the other with newspaper?
I understand PH's train of thought, If they swarmed or attempted they will have left sealed queen cells behind, unless you knocked them down by mistake; a cast swarm should still leave a viable cell or a virgin in the hive. Even if you want to unite, you should still drop a test frame into the hive to double check.
no need for the 3 mile move, the combine will shake them up they will orientate as they come out of the hive as it is all new, various methods IF THE HIVE IS REALLY QUEENLESS, (why did she swarm, where is the virgin queen/Queen cell that caused her to swarm)
1) place the nuc frames in a brood box above a Queenless brood with QE and newpaper over it, ( four of five small 1/4" slashes in it)
after at least 4 days prefrable 7 days reverse the boxes QE still between and add as much capped brood as you can to the brood with nuc frames, remove old brood box when all brood in it has hatched
( i use a snelgrove board as a drone release)
or
2) remove two or three frames from the old brood and then split that hive at one side of the brood nest , spay rosewater or lemon water on the bees on the frames and void between them
take the queen in the nuc with two or three brood frames so the queen goes into the dark middle, spray only the two outer side of frames and place these and queen in the void, shake all bees left in the nuc infront of the hive with board from any emerge siver backs to climb up
donate any spare brood to other week hives
