pity the weak?

[FRAMEshift]

I have a hive that survived the winter.... barely.  The queen did not make much brood through the winter, even though most of our hives kept up a good pace of brood rearing in this mild winter.

So I'm wondering what to do with this hive/queen.  There are only 2 frames of bees but there is new brood.  So my question is whether to pinch the queen and combine with a stronger hive or to add capped brood from another hive to prop her up until I can raise a replacement queen from another hive in a nuc (that will take about a month).  

The issue is which alternative will give me more total bees a month from now.  Does removing a frame of brood slow down the good hive more than it speeds up the bad hive?   Should I combine now and split again later.  Or should I add capped brood to speed up the laying of the bad queen?  Or should I do nothing and let the weak hive fend for itself until I have a new queen ready to add?

[Kathyp]

i have had hives like that recover and boom.  the key is the brood and brood pattern.  is she laying the max that the number of bees in the hive can cover and care for?  if she is, i'd wait and see. 
rather than take a frame of brood, you can shake in some workers to help boost them.

any of the things you want to do will work, but sometimes haste ruins what could be a good hive/queen and it is early in the year....

[yockey5]

 Or should I do nothing and let the weak hive fend for itself until I have a new queen ready to add?
[/b]

I think this is the way to go here.

[iddee]

If her laying pattern is tight, I would switch places with the weak hive and a strong hive. Give the weak hive a boost in foragers and bees to cover brood. The house bees can tend the increased brood.

[jredburn]

There is nothing better than a strong hive.
Do not tole rate a weak queen.
One large hive will produce more honey than two mediums.
So say my mentors.
That means combine and split later.
make sure they have room to grow so they do not swarm.
My $.02
Regards
Joe

[Kathyp]

One large hive will produce more honey than two mediums.
So say my mentors.
That means combine and split later.

true, but...this is also a chance to learn and observe.  if the other hives are already strong, nothing is lost by seeing what this one will do.  that's why i probably wouldn't waste more than some nurse bees on it, but those are quickly replace so it's not much of a loss. it's early, so he can combine later if this is not working out.