Two Nucs

I've been offered two Nucs which are separate colonies each with a new laying queen. Each nuc is on four frames of bees with brood on two frames each with stores on the other two frames.
Someone has recomended uniting the two and letting the queens fight it out.

I am against killing a perfectly good queen.

Should I transfer each into two poly Nucs I have and try to build them up and over winter them. Or unite and pass a queen onto another beekeeper.
I would like to pass one of the Nucs if it survives to a new beekeeper in the spring of next year.

It depends what you are trying to achieve.
Are you looking for honey this year? In that case you may consider uniting.

Are you looking to have 2 strong colonies to start next year's season with?... then keep them separate. If your conditions are good (lots of forage, bees working like there is no tomorrow) then you should be able to build up in time for winter.

As your profile says that you do not have any hives, I would be tempted to go for the second option. Why rush?

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Two store frames are too much in 4 frame nuc. It just stucks laying space. Foundation is better than a store frame.

To join 2 nucs and then you have there 4 store frames and 4 brood frames. That is not clever. There should be one store frame, 4 brood frames and 3 occupied empty combs. .... so to buy that combination is not good.

Hmmmmm...that nuc selling sounds not good.

It depens too, how old are brood, one week or 3 weeks? When new bees are going to emerge.

Karsal said:

Someone has recomended uniting the two and letting the queens fight it out.

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Well, as my father would say - in every circus you'll find a clown! you could end up with the surviving queen being damaged or even a totally queenless nuc. Plenty of time to build up these two. Your poly nuc option is a good idea IMHO - see how they go over the next month

Karsal said:

Should I transfer each into two poly Nucs I have and try to build them up and over winter them.

Click to expand...

Yes!