double queen versus 2 hives
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If managed right, a two-queen hive can outproduce two separate hives.
For most of us, making two hives is easier and easier to manage.
Of course, if you get to going through hives, you may find that more hive have two queens without managing for more than one than you might guess.
For most of us, making two hives is easier and easier to manage.
Of course, if you get to going through hives, you may find that more hive have two queens without managing for more than one than you might guess.
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Two-queen hives winter better. That's about the only advantage I could ever see, and I ran 100 according to Farrar's plan for several years in the special Farrar equipment which I made. I also ran two-queen colonies in standards and found that there is no real advantage, unless you like to brag about how tall your hives are.
I would say one flaw to a double queen is that you have to lift off a lot of supers to be able to check your lower queen.
It also makes requeening a bit more tricky.
I've also seen some sister groups within a colony fighting, perhaps their genectics and smell were not in harmony.
It also makes requeening a bit more tricky.
I've also seen some sister groups within a colony fighting, perhaps their genectics and smell were not in harmony.
A properly managed 2 queen colony will produce more than two single colonies, or that has been my experience. For instance all my 2 queen colonies averaged over 300# of honey each, while none of my single colonies averaged over 125#, side by side with each other. When I experimented all mine were verticle 2 queens, and to much extra work. Lifting 60# medium honey supers over your head gets old in a hurry. Michael Bush's site has suggestions for horizontal 2 queen colonies which would take care of this problem, but I have never tried the horizontal colonies.
Here are my musings:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestwoqueenhive.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestwoqueenhive.htm
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