> Some hives are simply better off dead.

I am afraid most backyard beekeepers and a lot of others simply don't get this. The old way, decades ago, was to "take your losses in the fall." Poor colonies would be unceremoniously dumped out and the equipment stored. Only the best would be kept to overwinter.

One particularly bad year at the Dyce Lab, about half the hives were too weak to overwinter. The Prof had me go around combining them to try to make something out them. My experience was, you can put 5 or 6 duds together and still wind up with a dud.

As Dick said, winter prep begins in summer. By now, the colonies should either be tip top, or if below par, they could be combined with another -- but not another dud! Better still, shake the bees out and extract the honey. Use the money to buy queens in spring.

PLB

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