[blackflag]

Hi my son and I are new bK we are trying to draw frames and were told that it sometimes is benificial to use two queens in one colony. the set up was discribed as follows:
put a super between two colonies with excluders on bottom and top of the super (empty with new waxed plastick foundation) and the next colony. the idea is that the two together will draw the comb faster. Does this work and do we really need the two excluders? As it stands the bees enter in the bottom entrance all the bees servicing the top colony are having to go through two excluders. Would it be possible to stack the two colonies with one excluder and put the super on top eliminating one excluder?

 

[kiwiBee]

Blackflag are you talking about drawing out frames in your honey super or your brood box?

kiwi

 

[mike haney]

a new beekeeper should stick to the tried and true methods before something as exotic as 2 queens. just my 2 cents, please dont be offended. good luck,mike

 

[indypartridge]

a new beekeeper should stick to the tried and true methods before something as exotic as 2 queens.

I agree. The bees will draw comb just fine with one queen.

 

[daknoodle]

Just put lots of syrup on both hives, they'll draw out the comb nice and fast.

 

[blackflag]

Thanks Guys:
As and update I should have mentioned ahead of time that we have done the two queen set up for about two weeks now. I don't know how the comb looks, but the concensensus seems to be to just keep the syrup on and keep the colonies separate. You folks are great I appreciate your opinions.

 

[blackflag]

As a further follow up to kiwi we are drawing in the honey super. which is between the two colonies with a queen on the bottom and one on top. This is a great service to new BK and I imagine even commercial guys get a few tips now and then. I come from the dairy industry and find it interesting the parrellels between them. Cows need water, need a good constant supply of feed. and need a little rest after milking for 305 days. Anyway need to sign out actually have to take the boy to the local fair to work on other animal projects. thanks again.

 

[Beeslave]

The reason for the 2 excluders is so the queens can't get to each other. The single excluder will allow the queens to come into contact with each other and they will fight.

 

[blackflag]

thanks for the answer on the two excluders. Must be working seems like both groups are happy enough.

 

[Throttlebender]

I wonder how the two hives would react if one queen suddenly died. Do you think that the phermones of the surviving queen would permiate the two hives and essentially mask the death of the other queen? Possibly making it easy to meld the two hives or do you think that the queenless hive would just take steps to requeen itself?

 

[blackflag]

Great question! I really don't know.