>   Is this uncommon ...


More common than we are led to believe. one year, I requeened 100 colonies
by killing the old queen, and giving a queen in an introduction cage. After
being caged for three days, the cages were pulled. Colonies that were
actually queenless, were feeding the caged queens, and it appeared that
these queens were accepted. In seven, the bees were trying to kill the new
queen through the cage. On checking, all seven had a laying queen in the
hive, after one had been killed days earlier.
         Then last year, I requeened 50 colonies by raising the top brood
box...without any queen...above the inner cover. This was given a queen.
One month later, I went below, killed the old queen, and united the two. In
17 of the 50, I found multiple queens in the bottom unit. That's almost
30%. In one instance, there were two daughters and the old queen laying on
adjacent combs.

When requeening, if the new queen is something special, run the bees
through an excluder shaker box to be sure ALL the old queens are removed
from the hive.

Mike


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