Nuc question

[Beeboy01]

I've been working with two nucs over the last month or so. One has made a queen and is doing well while the second one hasn't made a queen and during my last inspection I spotted a scattered of drone brood which might be signs of laying workers. Can I combine the two nucs into a single deep or will it cause problems with the good nuc? 
   

[TheHoneyPump]

It will cause problems.  The LWs will attack the queen in the other nuc.

Do you have other hives.  The best thing to do now is:
- nuc 1, queenrite, move into appropriate sized box.  10F.   Add 2 frames of capped brood and nurse bees from another queenrite hive.  Boom! Becomes a full blown hive in a week.  Carry on happily.
- option (A) nuc 2, LWs, other full hives. shake out in middle of the beeyard and remove the equipment. Do not give them the place to go back to.  They have to be forced to beg into the other hives.  Let the bees sort out the bees. The LWs will be killed at the door, normal bees will be allowed in.  Do not allow them access to your queenrite nuc. Move it and/or block it in for 2 days when you do this.
- option (B) nuc 2, LWs, no other hives. take the LWs nuc for a drive at least 4 miles away.  Shake them out on the side of the road or in middle of another beekeepers (friend hopefully) beeyard.  Cleanup the emptied equipment and go home.

There is no value in attempting to salvage laying workers any other way.  Imminent total failure, heartache, and beekeeper demoralization awaits trying otherwise.

Hope that helps!

[CoolBees]

...
There is no value in attempting to salvage laying workers any other way.  Imminent total failure, heartache, and beekeeper demoralization awaits trying otherwise....

I agree with this. Been there, tried that.

Very well spoken and knowledgeable advice, as always HP. Thank you!

[Oldbeavo]

We have had success with drone layers by shaking them out only 50 yards away, put the hive back in place but with a frame of open brood and nurse bees. All the drone brood is smashed.
As the other hive bees return shake some icing sugar over everyone and put lid on. Usually have better than 50% success.
Maybe there is such kaos and the confusion of icing sugar that the bees resort back to normal????
I have been told that the laying worker started as a young bee and has not been out of the hive, so shaking the bees out she probably won't find her way back to the hive. I wiil stand corrected on this point if someone knows better!

[Beeboy01]

I've had success with a shake out before, maybe I'll move the queen right nuc to the other end of the yard and shake out the drone layer nuc then add a frame of brood to it and start all over again. Already added a frame of brood to the questionable nuc during the inspection three days ago. I'll check in a week and see  what's up. The queen right nuc is for a new beekeeper who lost his hives last year, I'll see if he can pick it up this week.
  All my good hives have 2 or 3 honey supers on so pulling brood frames is a little more work than usual.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm

[TheHoneyPump]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslayingworkers.htm

An excellently put together article. 
Thank you MB. 

[Beeboy01]

Thanks MB, great article covering the problem. Going to check the nuc for any queen cells over the weekend and take it from there.