what to do with a soon-to-expire queen?

[stavros]

I am planning to re-queen one of my hives in a week that did not make any honey, nor filled the two supers this spring. I have done this once in the past, and I felt bad killing the queen with the hive tool (on top of that I left her dead inside the hive; I won't repeat this!). The question is this: I have a spare nuc, and I wonder if there is a way to put a frame of bees in, together with the old queen, and feed them. Do you think one frame will be enough for them to survive? Thanks a lot,
Stavros

[Beeslave]

It will be enough to keep the queen alive incase the new is not accepted. She has already proven herself unworthy unless there is some other cause for the lack of production. If the new queen gets accepted kill the old! It will cost you more to keep her going than it will be to get another(queen).

[stavros]

That's an interesting perspective: I agree it'll take a lot of effort and resources to keep the old queen; so I'll keep her alive for just a few days till I make sure the hive accepts the new queen.
Thanks a lot,
Stavros

[franktrujillo]

hello, you can also put her into a nuc and try to winter her over.If she dies u lose nothing but a try and a few bees and u will have some drawn comb as well......if she makes it u can kill her next spring and let them make a new queen:popcorn:........

[peletier]

I have made the mistake of thinking that a change of venue might help a poor queen do better.:doh: Having said this, I have three lackluster queens in nucs right now .....putting off the dirty deed.:cry:

[cow pollinater]

Let her wear herself out in a nuc box and add whatever brood she's able to make to the strong hive. Pinch her later this fall and combine with the new queenright hive. That way you have a boomer going into winter.

[sqkcrk]

Stop putting off the inevitable and pinch her head.

[Dubhe]

I've read that some folk put the pinched off queens in a sealed jar with just enough alcohol to cover them, and use the liquid as home brewed swarm lure in their traps.

[Michael Bush]

I always put her in a nuc until things are going really well and winter is coming on, then I drop her (don't pinch her) into a jar of alcohol with the other retired queens to make swarm lure.