Huge drones or multiple queens

[Xander]

Hi all, at the risk of sounding like a complete numpty when I did my oa vape on Tue I was observing the colony through the clear crownboard.
I saw a large, long bee 2 times the length of the workers and 1.5 the diameter and thought ah there's Queenie, shes lost her paint but it happens....
Then I saw another one.
Is it possible to have 2 queens running around?
My ex mentor said I have "small bees" which I do, they're nowhere near as big as his so I was thinking maybe the new foundation I added has caused bigger cells to be drawn (the stuff in there is pretty old and I think may be the cause of "small bees") therefore bigger drones however these blighters were long and the size of the queen I introduced in the autumn.
I will try to get a photo, in the meantime any thoughts?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

perfectly normal
you regularly see colonies taking multiple queens through the winter

 

[Xander]

Ah, mystery solved. I just nipped out and only managed to get a pretty poor picture of one of them as it disappeared down a seam. Can only just see it's bum and my phone seems to have merged it and adjacent bees like something out of "the fly".
Ahh well. I think it was the vape brought them to the crown board. I still think they're a small variety of bee though. Although if the requeening worked they should all be carniolans next year.
I plan to do a comb change come spring and put them in a nice new home as the one they're in needs a good overhaul and a couple of modifications to make vaping easier.

 

[drex]

My regular would be every now and then, but I do not regularly look in my bees in winter. Certainly nothing to worry about, leave them in peace.



Just seen your picture. Looks normal to me. My book says average length about 1.5cm

 

[Ian123]

There’s a drone in the top picture.

 

[Xander]

Next vape is Christmas day weather permitting. I'll get a better photo maybe. Going to leave them to it until spring now apart from the oa of course, 3 more applications.
I've had 0 mite drop this last week so could I forego maybe the final 2 vapes?
The nuc with the old queen in is still doing well however I had 5 mites in 24 hours after the last vape. I don't know if that's good or bad but I'd prefer 0.

 

[Xander]

There’s a drone in the top picture.

Yeah I saw that one with The big eyes. The mystery bee went down the same seam you can just see it's bum. The photo doesn't show the size of them they're easily as big as the queen I introduced and the old one I removed. Massive long bodies but slightly blunt unlike a queen . I'll definitely get a better photo when I vape. Then we'll see for sure how bad my eyesight is!

 

[fian]

I have had at least two ecotypes of bees for the last 5 years, and despite the fact that all the colonies receive the same wax base, one is noticeably smaller than the other.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Is it possible to have 2 queens running around?

they're easily as big as the queen I introduced and the old one I removed

As you removed the old queen they must have allowed the introduced Carniolan to lay and then superseded her. The daughter may or may not be mated, which will be interesting to work out in spring.

I'd prefer 0

Wouldn't we all (but it won't happen).