Re: Any Comercials Use Two Queen Systems in Spring?
Side by side is better than a vertical setup from what I experienced so far. It is easier to work the hives, it also seems that the bees store honey better (above the broodnest, but where is the top of a double broodnest? Confuses the bees. The side by side setup doesn't confuse as much. I am still experimenting. Some commercials here use a Jumbo Dadant brood with a bee-tight follower/divider board in the center. For me it is good to have an extra queen as backup, so a queen failure doesn't mean the hive fails in production. And it is good to have some extra bees and brood per hive.
Side by side is better than a vertical setup from what I experienced so far. It is easier to work the hives, it also seems that the bees store honey better (above the broodnest, but where is the top of a double broodnest? Confuses the bees. The side by side setup doesn't confuse as much. I am still experimenting. Some commercials here use a Jumbo Dadant brood with a bee-tight follower/divider board in the center. For me it is good to have an extra queen as backup, so a queen failure doesn't mean the hive fails in production. And it is good to have some extra bees and brood per hive.