> 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