Q-less

[MickBBKA]

I have a colony that still covers a brood + super. Its now got drone laying workers. I don't want to risk uniting and them killing another Q in a good colony. What would you do ? I was thinking of moving it around the apiary to bleed off bees into other colonies. Any thoughts ?
Cheers, Mick.

[AdamD]

I've bled bees off in the past; if you have a colony next door to it you could move it away and next to another one in the first instance. My guess is that it will take a few days for the flyers to finish up in the next-door colony depending on the weather. You could then move it a second time?

[Alfred]

They are doomed on their own
They are a risk to other colonies
Nothing to lose by a bucket of fairy liquid.
Quicker than natures way of allowing them to dwindle and starve.

If thats too harsh then shake them out in the vicinity of the apiary and allow them to beg their way into the other hives with a reduced risk of laying.
Combining late can only disturb the demographic balance in a good colony.
Either way you don't want to be cleaning up a dead-out in early January

[NigelP]

Welcome back Alfred.....been a long time.
I'm with you throw them out, but I'd take them 3 miles away. No queen no winter bees they are already doomed and only add extra mouths to feed to other hives.

[JoJo36]

As the weather is still mild, shaking them out in the apiary to allow them to beg their way back into several hives boosting the numbers sounds a good option! Maybe this boost could determine the fate of some of the other hives by the time spring arrives??!!:)

[MickBBKA]

Thanks for the replies folks.
I think I will go take them well down the field and chuck them out. Only the strongest will make it back and the ivy has just started to flower so they may help a late forage.

Cheers, Mick.