> there were about ten percent double
> queens, but I saw no link to aggressive behaviour.

In my operation, I requeen in autumn, usually March in the southern 
hemisphere, as it is about the only time I have any queens left for myself. 
Also, it is said that having new queens in the hive for spring, September 
onwards, is good and reduces swarming, not that I have any problems with 
swarming.

When requeening, I often find two queens in the one hive.  It is a result of 
supercedure where mother is being replaced.  The usual clue is that you see 
a recently hatched or torn down queen cell on the edge of the brood nest. 
There is no sign of aggressive behaviour in these hives and they act 
normally.  Often you can tell that the old queen is being replaced when you 
see the wheelchair tyre marks down the comb <G>.

At some stage, the daughter must take over laying in the hive and the 
mother, although still there, has stopped laying but is still tolerated in 
the hive.  I found this out on several occasions with old breeder queens 
when I took the daughter out and the mother did not lay again.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA
Coming to Apimondia in Australia in 2007 

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