Anyone combining hives near NC?

[specialkayme]

Unfortunately, this season wasn't a good one for me  :-\ I started out with two hives, bought another, and bought a package. Long story short, I had to move, and there was a mishap with the bees. One overheated somehow and became lost, one abscond, and another one just left (still confused about that one  :?, possible parasites). On top of that, the honey flow wasn't good this year. While my one last hive is small, hopefully it will still make it through the winter.

Anyway, usually about this time people start combining weak hives together. If anyone is, I would love to be able to get one frame of brood and a queen off the split, if at all possible. Name your price, obviously. I'll put the frame in my OH along with three blank frames and put it in my house. With warm inside temps, along with feeding, the hive should make it well into the spring, hopefully asuring that I'm not left with NO hives next spring.

Just a thought. Thanks to all who can help.

[USC Beeman in TN]

There are a lot of NC beeks on Beesource.com.  Try there.

[buzzbee]

There are over 100 beemaster members from NC. I will copy this link to the general forum also.

[USC Beeman in TN]

Not sure where you live, but I purchased 1 nuc of small cell bees from Beehunter on Beesource.com last spring and have ordered 2 more for next spring.  He lives in Centerville, TN but his apiaries for nucs are in GA.  I can say that the nuc I received was awesome.  Packed with bees, brood, honey, & pollen.  Queen was beautiful and laying.  Never say a queen with such a long abdoman!  He will meet you somewhere on his route from GA to TN.  Sign on that site to PM him or PM me and I will give you his name and phone number.

[doak]

Confused on this one.
I thought the time to combine was in the early fall.
If you had a colony that did not do so well and another one that had a good year, produced plenty honey and another colony, you should combine the weak one with the strong one.
Never combine two small weak colonies, you will only end up with a large weak colony.
Unless you have no other choice.

It is better to combine two colonies early, If it appears you may loose one later on any how.
What I was always told.

All you new beekers don't be opening your colonies up in this cold weather, Unless it is absolutely
necessary, Let it get 50 degrees or higher.
This feeding and feed store inspections should have been done as early as late August, Sept, and Oct. Should have been ready to winterize and close up by mid Nov. Then leave alone till a pretty day in early Feb. or March for the South and later for the north.
If it isn't broke don't try to fix it. If it is broke now not much you can do.

If a colony has enough bees to form a good cluster and has enough stores, Then there isn't too much we can do for them now. What ever is going to happen will and does happen. Always has, always will. Hope this helps, Later if not now. Hope I haven't been to harsh.
Happy New Year every one, and hang in there .
 :)doak

[specialkayme]

I actually agree with you Doak. My original post was back in October. It is too late to do anything now.

Thanks for checking up though.