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Author Topic: Two Queens  (Read 1886 times)

Offline Kris^

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Two Queens
« on: May 17, 2006, 04:54:33 pm »
How weird is this?  I have two queens in one hive!   :shock:

This was the walkaway split I made April 2nd, keeping the marked queen from the original hive with it.  This was the scrawny little queen that moved thrugh the excluder when I was trying to raise queens.  It's been slow to build back up, and through the past month or so I found queen cells in the hive and removed them.  I decided to leave the one I found on April 23rd in the hive, figuring the bees knew what they wanted to do.  As recently as May 7th I saw the marked queen in the hive.

Today I looked in the hive and found a large, plump unmarked queen.  I guessed they superceded the old one.  There were several frames of cappped and uncapped brood, and eggs in the upper box of the hive.  It didn't seem right that a new queen not 10 days old would be so healthy looking and prolific.  (For instance, the queen I found in the hive that swarmed 12 days ago is still running around unmated.)  After replacing the frames, I decided to inspect again.  On the second frame in I found the marked queen.  She was just going about her business like nothing was wrong.  I looked again for the other queen -- and found her again on the fifth frame in.  She, too, was just going about her business like nothing was wrong.  I tried to take pictures, but I only had my phone-camera with me, and I couldn't work the buttons and move the frame around at the same time.  I swear -- it was another queen!

The only thing I can figure is this new queen must have been in the hive since emerging shortly after 4/23.  I never saw her before because I never looked further after spotting the marked queen.  The hive is not overcrowded by any means.  In fact, I'd been thinking a week or two ago that I may have put the second box on too soon.  But the queens aren't keeping in separate boxes, they were both in the top box with only two frames of comb between them.

Should I split the older marked queen off into a nuc and leave the new queen in the full hive?  She was new last year.  Or should I just see if the hive continues this way and observe what happens?

-- Kris

Offline TwT

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Two Queens
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2006, 06:33:14 pm »
I'm sure others will have a lot to tell you but I would split them and see if I could get another hive going.....they are probably super-ceding the older queen would be my guest but she probably stile laying if she's plump.....
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Amateurs built the ark,
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Online Michael Bush

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Two Queens
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2006, 09:53:57 pm »
I've seen two queens in a hive.  The exception, but not that rare of an exception.  :)
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Offline Kris^

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Two Queens
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2006, 11:05:17 pm »
Most likely, the hive didn't build up well before because the queen wasn't performing.  Perhaps I injured her in some way when I moved her into the split?  She'd been doing well up until then.  But she wasn't completely spent.  I can see the colony raising a new queen to replace her from her small store of eggs, and the second queen does seem to be quite a healthy layer.  All this makes sense to me.  Except for the part where they let her stay in the hive for so long after the new queen took over.  I suppose her day is coming.  And since she was deemed inadequate by the colony, there wouldn't be much sense in getting her into a nuc, then, would there?  Unless the nuc decided to raise a queen from her.

-- Kris

Offline TwT

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Two Queens
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2006, 11:52:19 pm »
Quote from: Kris^
And since she was deemed inadequate by the colony, there wouldn't be much sense in getting her into a nuc, then, would there?


now they could have done this and be thinking it was her with the confusion and pressure when you were making the split, you know what I mean..... if her rear end is still large I would bet she is still laying....could be many thing's but I would still try a nuc and see if she worked out or I get a new queen.......


 
Quote from: Kris^
Unless the nuc decided to raise a queen from her.

-- Kris


that would be a good idea if there was something wrong with her... my plans exactly
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

Never be afraid to try something new.
Amateurs built the ark,
Professionals built the Titanic