[Billboard]

Ok I'll try and explain this the best I can. A package I installed in march I was inspecting. My last inspectiontion was 3 to 4 weeks ago. I usually inspect once a week or every 10 days. This hive is single deep hive. I pulled the cover off and it was loaded with bees. I pulled out 1 frame against the side wall. Not too much on it. Its expected to look like it did. I pulled frame after frame looking at it my 4th frame I found a queen cell. Wasnt there last time. I pull another frame and I see 4 more QCs. As I look I see a nice looking hazelnut color queen walking around. I see the bees all mounded up in 1 spot so I blew a good breath and they open up. They chewing open the QC. I watch, it's my first time seeing a queen emerging. I use my knife tip and open the hole better. She comes out. Looks exactly like the one I seen 10 mins earlier. I see the bees all mounded up on 2 more spots. I blow they move it's a QC. I tear it out. The last one I found I tore out. Qcs all gone. So I'm just watching the 2 new ones they are just walking in circles looking. Then all of a sudden I see nice big fat queen walking into view. Wtf!!! 3 queens. So I do everything needed to add a second deep box . I checked board it. Then I put it back together. Like I said this is the first
time seeing all I did. I'm confused about what I should do. Should kill the new queens. Make small split. Kill 1 and leave original queen in hive? I know I need to act somewhat fast. I'm hoping they mate for a few days to buy me time. What advice do have ?
Just for information
I have 8 hives at the present. I can start a new hive but really dont want to.

 

[Gray Goose]

Ok I'll try and explain this the best I can. A package I installed in march I was inspecting. My last inspectiontion was 3 to 4 weeks ago. I usually inspect once a week or every 10 days. This hive is single deep hive. I pulled the cover off and it was loaded with bees. I pulled out 1 frame against the side wall. Not too much on it. Its expected to look like it did. I pulled frame after frame looking at it my 4th frame I found a queen cell. Wasnt there last time. I pull another frame and I see 4 more QCs. As I look I see a nice looking hazelnut color queen walking around. I see the bees all mounded up in 1 spot so I blew a good breath and they open up. They chewing open the QC. I watch, it's my first time seeing a queen emerging. I use my knife tip and open the hole better. She comes out. Looks exactly like the one I seen 10 mins earlier. I see the bees all mounded up on 2 more spots. I blow they move it's a QC. I tear it out. The last one I found I tore out. Qcs all gone. So I'm just watching the 2 new ones they are just walking in circles looking. Then all of a sudden I see nice big fat queen walking into view. Wtf!!! 3 queens. So I do everything needed to add a second deep box . I checked board it. Then I put it back together. Like I said this is the first
time seeing all I did. I'm confused about what I should do. Should kill the new queens. Make small split. Kill 1 and leave original queen in hive? I know I need to act somewhat fast. What advice do have ?

Either they are superseding the old queen or swarming.
At this point Unless the bees are packed i would say they are superceding.
Yes if you can find the old queen take her and a frame or 2 of bees out to a split.
the new queen may have oriented by now, as well there could be more.
also if the cells were in the center ish on the frame points to supercedure, if along the bottom edge a swarm cell.

If you have the resources, and you are fast enough you can make a split for each queen/muture cell.
If you want increase give it a try, any that fail to mate can be re combined later.

GG

 

[Akademee]

I do as much as I can to split out queens and queen cells, any unemployed woodenware gets a queen!

 

[Billboard]

I was afraid of what your guys would say. I kinda knew it. As much as I dont want too many. I guess I have no choice really. I thought all being on the seen on the same frame that I'd see a cat fight. But no that didnt happen. Thanks

 

[Gray Goose]

didn't happen Yet

 

[Billboard]

Oh I wanted to say the queen cells were about3 to 4 inches down and to the right side of the frame. I would say no where in the middle of the frame.

 

[GregV]

I would attempt to mate any QC that I find, don't care how many.

Just made up 8 styro-foam mating nucs (and more spare boxes are waiting in wings).
Any QC that comes along (or a ready queen, even better), will go straight into a mating nuc.

 

[Gray Goose]

sorry i meant middle,, top to bottom so on a deep 3-4 is close to centered.
"usually" by the time the swarm queen emerge the old queen is long gone.

 

[grozzie2]

The important clue is in the brood, do you see eggs, and if so, are they in a nice tight pattern ? With two or three queens emerging like that, if the intent was to swarm I would think the swarm would already have left, and, it's quite possible a swarm has left. A colony with 2 or 3 frames of capped brood ready to emerge wont look low on population a couple days after a swarm. Heck, I've watched a swarm come out of a hive, then when I opened it up 10 minutes later, based on how many bees we saw on the frames, I wouldn't have believed it was freshly swarmed, except I watched the swarm leave only 10 minutes earlier.

BUT, and this is a big BUT. If the 'big fat' queen you mention is indeed a mated queen, then it's more likely the bees are in the process of superceeding as I would expect swarms to be already gone when cells start emerging.