Need help

[Mrfrg.4]

Need some advice on a struggling top bar hive. Its a long story but I'll try to keep it short. Started with a package two weeks in I find multiple queen cells and little to no eggs or larva. Figure I'll let them do their thing. Check after leaving them alone for three weeks and I spot a queen. Check back today and no queen no eggs no larva but one capped queen cell in the middle. The population is dwindling due to on going queen issues. Not sure what to do next. I have an 8frame Lang right beside that is booming. Should I purchase a mated queen or would it be more beneficial to some how combine the bees that are left with the other hive. Thanks

[Jacobs]

If you have enough bees in the top bar to justify it, I would go with buying a queen--that way you still have 2 hives going. If there are too few in the top bar, consider getting another 8 frame super and frames, do a newspaper combination by putting a sheet of newspaper over the top bars of the top super of the Langstroth hive. Put a few slits in the newspaper with your hive tool. Put the new super on & shake the bees from the top bar into the empty super. Gently add your frames & put the inner and outer covers on. In around 24 hours, the bees should chew through the newspaper and combine into 1 colony of bees.

[Mrfrg.4]

Thanks. I think I am going to try and requeen the topbar.