Requeening is always an option, but if your mite control is lacking or insufficient, just requeening won't pull the hive out of this downward spiral.  Further, some hive populations get so low that there are not enough workers to care for new brood and forage, and thus they never really catch up.  Requeening would be fruitless.
   
  My thoughts?  First, treat for mites.  Then pull one, maybe two frames of sealed brood from each of the other two hives to equalize, then perhaps requeen.  Just a boost in the population may help the old queen do her job.
   
  An alternative?  Order a package with a new queen to add to this hive.  Of course, this time of year it's hard to find packages available on such short notice.  
   
  Grant
  Jackson, MO

 
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