Brian R Tucker wrote:
>
> So people asked for the method I used in double queening my hive here goes.
>
>      1. I took my strongest overwintered hive ( it was over wintered in 2
> hive bodies) and about 3 weeks ago I split all the bood and bees evenly ( or
> as evenly as posible) in 2 hive bodies.I then took an inner cover that was
> notched for an enterence and placed it on top of the hive body with the old
> queen in it (I also added a hive body to that section so the old queen had
> room to lay in 2 hive bodies). So I got 2 hive bodies with the old queen
> laying in them an inner cover with a notch for an entrance for the bees at
> the top and anouther hive body. I covered the hole in the inner cover to keep
> the bees seperate. I then added a new queen to the hive body that was
> queenless.
>
>    2. A few days later I checked to see if the new queen was out. She wasn't
> so I released her and let her go at it. 3 days later checked to make sure she
> was laying and everything was good so far.
>
>   3. About a week and a half after I intoduced the new queen to the queenless
> hive body I was ready to join them and the original colony back together. I
> got a wood bound queen excluder and notched an entrance on one side. I
> sprayed the bees with vanilla water to confuse the scent alittle put the
> excluder over the original collony that housed the old queen and then put the
> hive body with the new queen over the excluder.( need to make sure that there
> is an entrance for the top or drones can't get out)
>    4. 2 days ago I added a secound hive body for the new queen. So my collony
> is now 4 hive bodies tall 3 of which are almost full of brood and a fourth
> that is starting to get filled. And I haven't even put honey supers on yet.
>
>  People say just before the end of the honeyflow to remove the excluder and
> let the queens fight it out but I am going to just split this hive during the
> fall flow and try the same next year.
>
> Brian tucker
> POLO MO
 
 
Right now, you have a two queen colony.  AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A HUGH
SWARM!
 
On top of the first(bottom queen) put a queen excluder and two honey
supers, then another queen excluder, the second queen brood boxes,
a third excluder and at least 4 honey supers.
Queens more than a year old should be watched for signs of swarming.
Since your year old is at the very bottom, it might be difficult.
If all goes well and I hope it does, be ready and watch the honey supers
as they will fill EXTREMELY fast.  Yeilds of two to three hundred pounds
are common.  Humugious swarms though.  (15-20 pounders!!)
 
Dave Verville
.
(unis spoken here)