What would you do

[fullframe45]

what would you do in this situation.i have five colonies two on treble brood and three on DB. The three on DB are this years Queens(24) and at this moment are laying well . The two on treble brood are stuffed and also laying well ,but are all last years Queens.(23) I also have a swarm in a polly nuc (24) that is building up fast and now has three extension boxes on and needs more room..So do i keep adding extensions till i run out them and over winter that way.or should i dispatch a last years Queen in a treble BB hive and then unite with the swarm.The nuc is a paynes addapted to take 8 frames so a decent size nuc .I have no more kit and not in a position to buy more so not sure what to do.My original plan was to go into winter with no more than Four DB hives with this years (24) Queens. Hope this makes sense. Thank You

 

[Sutty]

Do the trebles all need 3?
I'd see if there are a few frames empty or full of stores & remove them to free up a brood chamber or two, then move the developing colony into them - assuming a spare floor & roof or the ability to bodge some.
Keep the frames of stores for winter feed or extract them.

 

[fullframe45]

one of the trebbles i did think about reducing to two,but on inspecting yesterday, the top BB they are now using it to store honey and although5 or 6 frames, none of it has been capped. Thay are hardly touching the super.Only had a cpl of brood frames partly with space for her.This was the hive that i had problems with a few weeks back very nasty on inspecting. But lately not too bad. Bringing in balsam now also by the look of them. Thank You

 

[fian]

1.
A. I would look for one of the triple B queens and remove it to the nucleus in the square that found it.
B. the queen of the nucleus would go in her painting to the orphan hive.
To avoid fights between bees, spray a little cologne in the gap of the frame before inserting the change box.
2.
A. Remove one of the queens in the triple B hive with about 3 frames with bees, brood and pollen. Install it on a core.
B. Arrange the cop hive on top of the brood chamber from which you have removed your queen. Use newspaper between brood chambers to make the transition.
3.
A. Remove one box from each of the 2 containing 3B. Check that the queen is not there.
B. Place the cop between both chambers with newspaper between them.
C. If there are increases, distribute them among everyone

 

[Sutty]

one of the trebbles i did think about reducing to two,but on inspecting yesterday, the top BB they are now using it to store honey and although5 or 6 frames, none of it has been capped. Thay are hardly touching the super.Only had a cpl of brood frames partly with space for her.This was the hive that i had problems with a few weeks back very nasty on inspecting. But lately not too bad. Bringing in balsam now also by the look of them. Thank You

You could spin out the uncapped deep frames, use the resultant empty box to house the bees, and feed the extracted honey back to the bees if more than 20% water.

 

[fullframe45]

On another note i also have two poly nucs with laying Queens last years (23) so im a bit overstretched as it were and i dont like saying it but (too many for my littls set up ) hope thats not tempting fate. I shook a cpc of the frames and they are very loose dripping.