Very late-season drone-layers

[Mellifera Crofter]

I've looked at Jimbo's thread (http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/showthread.php?240-Drone-Layer), but thought I'll ask again about the drone-layer problem as it is so very, very late in the season.

The queens hatched in mid and late July. The first colony's queen did start to lay after a bit of a wait; the second colony's queen never laid at all, but I did see her - so I felt somewhat relaxed and didn't interfere. I looked in the hives today while removing varroa strips and discovered small patches of drone brood and a few drones in both hives - not much - and no eggs. I did not see a queen in either hive.

As it is so late in the season, and both drone-layers seem to have stopped laying, do you think it would be safe to unite them with other hives?

Kitta

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi Kitta
Yes I would think it was safe to unite them with a queen right hive but is it worth it ?
The bees in those queen less hives will be long gone by next spring they won't be long lived winter bees
Are your queen right colonies ok for bee numbers if so the added bees will just consume stores
I would unite them but it is probably wrong :)

[Jon]

I did not see a queen in either hive.

Are you sure you have drone laying queens as opposed to laying workers? If the latter I definitely would not try and unite as they often kill a resident laying queen when united.

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks DR and Jon.

Yes, thanks Jon, I just realised that my title is wrong - I should have said 'laying workers'. I didn't see any queens. That does not mean they're not there - but I'm fairly sure they're workers. I thought that because they've stopped laying that they might not be a threat anymore.

Since posting I wondered whether I could perhaps split them up and spread the combs around to other hives - then they're even less of a threat. I do understand what DR is saying about them not being winter bees and therefore not contributing to the new hive - but I'm a bit soppy about all my bees and would hate to see them dwindling away.

Kitta

[Jon]

I see laying workers quite often in apideas as they develop much more quickly.
Any time I have tried to 'rescue' bees from a laying worker apidea they have killed a good queen elsewhere.

Harden your heart and shake them out or just leave them to dwindle.
As DR says, little or no value in old bees and there is a definite downside as they could render another colony queenless.

Earlier in the season I get people looking queens to requeen laying worker colonies and I wont sell one, let alone give one away for this purpose as the chance of a successful introduction is slim.

[gavin]

I'm a bit soppy about all my bees and would hate to see them dwindling away.

Kitta

The ones willing to be flexible will jump to a neighbouring colony anyway - the die-hards would cause trouble elsewhere. Let them dwindle!

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks Jon and Gavin. I hope you're right, Gavin. I would certainly like to think that.
Kitta