Dear Aaron,
Reposted with apologies.
We have read the thread on supercedure with great interest. Here is an
exceptional example. Friends of ours run one of the few large honey farms
here in Scotland. One spring when father and son were clipping and marking
Queens both claimed to have found her. After a brief row both looked each
others frame and sure enough there was a marked, clipped and laying Queen.
As differant colours are used by them for each year it was obvious the
length of time this had been going on. The young Queen had been there for
some eighteen months!
In our own experience with Melifera Melifera the same bee as the above, we
find that there is "often" supercedure during the heather season. (late
July through mid September) It is only via marked Queens that the result is
noticed via the record card and lack of paint the next spring.
Regards Pete and Moira.