Which queen would you keep?

[twb]

I think one of my hives threw out a mid September swarm.  Fewer bees, quite a bit less honey reserves... .  Are these some of the signs?  There is a laying queen in there and the hive I plan to combine it with has its original queen(I think).  She has slowed way down or quit for a time.  I suspect it is the mite meds combined with the time of year.  So do I pinch her head that of my new "swarm queen"?

[pdmattox]

If you are going to combine then I would just do a newspaper combine and let the bees pick.

[Kathyp]

i lost a queen out of the one hive i over wintered last year.  this year i have more hives and they all have queens.  one hive is small with a new queen.  rather than combine it and lose that queen, i am just making that hive one deep for the winter.  

if you have two good queens, why combine and lose one?  come spring, you might find you have none.  then you will be delayed while you order and introduce a new queen.  if you keep both and find that you have lost one over the winter, you will have brood to swap into the queenless hive to at least keep its numbers up until it can be requeened.

of course, if you have several other hives, it probably doesn't matter to much.  guess in that case, i'd keep the youngest queen.

[pdmattox]

Just building off kathy's post, you could make a nuke out of the smaller hive to help them overwinter.

[JP]

I ditto the nuc idea.

[twb]

I just wanted to add that the "old" queen was new in spring 07.  You guys are quick.  I like the nuc idea too but noone seems to have much luck overwintering them up north.  I figured fall is the time to take your loses and combine, but I do not wish to give up yet, either.  It is October, however, and in a matter of weeks we could have snow even though highs in the 80's are predicted for the next few days. I wonder if it is too late to build up much food for the winter.  So, I could combine and let them pick their queen?  This takes the pressure off me to HAVE to find them both in order to usher one to its final reward.  But would I risk losing them both in a bee battle?

[Brian D. Bray]

What's the inside of the hive like?  Lots of stores?  Light on stores?  Here, IMO, the deciding factor is what is the stores level and is there enough time remaining before the snow falls to feed enough to see them through if they are light.  That's always been my guage.  If you have more than 1 hive with empty or partially filled frames then those are the hives that should be combined so that the available stores can be used--2 partials stores = 1 full of stores. 
Here it has sarted to snow in the mountains above 4K feet, So I probably still have 3-4 weeks of feeding time left. 

[Understudy]

I think one of my hives threw out a mid September swarm.  Fewer bees, quite a bit less honey reserves... .  Are these some of the signs?  There is a laying queen in there and the hive I plan to combine it with has its original queen(I think).  She has slowed way down or quit for a time.  I suspect it is the mite meds combined with the time of year.  So do I pinch her head that of my new "swarm queen"?

Throwing a swarm is a natural means of reproduction for the bees.
The lack of honey and fewer bees are one way. Many bees are going into winter mode now and the queens have started laying much less. Also there may not be much nectar for them.

Do not pinch you swarm queen. Put them in a nuc and feed them to build up for winter.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[hilltop hives]

Send the extra one to Tennessee and I'll teach her to say yall.