> Are we, as beekeepers, convinced that in order to keep queens banked the
> surrounding bees must be queenless?  Has anyone tried otherwise?

I have set up banks in queenright colonies simply by placing the cages above
a queen excluder.  Noticed no ill effects.  However, Gus Rouse (Kona Queens)

scolded me severely (I exagerate) over the practice.  On his advise I set up
the
queenless nuc, which he said is the ONLY correct way to do it.

I have had success both ways.  However, I rarely bank queens for very long
(over two weeks).  I try to get them into colonies or at lease a nuc ASAP.

I suspect queenless banks are optimal, but queenright banks work.

Aaron