BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Beekeepers <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 5 May 2017 23:24:22 +0100
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (18 lines)
>While I have never seen 2 queen hives,  I know others have,  how common,  and what circumstances?

I have seen it suggested that around 10% of hives commonly have 2 queens.  Not sure that is true, but we do see 2 queens quite often - perhaps because we select for A.m.m.  Marking queens obviously increases your chances of seeing this.

>Do they fight in a supercedure? 

We usually see queens superseding in the autumn and the two queens seem to co-exist amicably, often on the same comb and sometimes walking over one another.  The old queen seems to die during the winter, although we once found a hive with mother and daughter present on first inspection in the spring - but the old queen was not seen on subsequent inspections despite a thorough search for her.  I have  no idea how they die, but given that they are often four years old I would suggest 'natural causes'.

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2