Twin Queen Hive

[jezd]

Anyone planning on trying double queen hives this season?

Been reading up on this one and its of interest, just curious.

JD

 

[RoofTops]

I'm planning to try but only for queen breeding, so it will be a temporary arrangement. I am not sure the benefits, whatever they are, are worth it for keeping a colony permanently with two queens. Strikes me as making beekeeping just difficult for the point of it.

 

[jezd]

I'm planning to try but only for queen breeding, so it will be a temporary arrangement. I am not sure the benefits, whatever they are, are worth it for keeping a colony permanently with two queens. Strikes me as making beekeeping just difficult for the point of it.

I agree, but for swarm control its seems like win win from the method I was shown - not sure what 100,000+ bees will be like to manage in one hive

 

[Mike a]

I've looked at having duel queen hives and found a study paper which explained in some detail how they verified the numbers and benefits but I wasn't convinced enough to try it as the study was from the 70's or 80's.
I also found a website with hive called the H3 hive http://rusticelementbees.com/?p=WorthIt

where they also claim to achieve outstanding results...

But if it was that good then it would be the most popular method of bee keeping and the H3 hive would be well known.

 

[oliver90owner]

The Dartington might lend itself toward this format. Don't think I shall be trying it this year, but keep me posted.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

If it sounds too good to be true............

PH

 

[jezd]

If it sounds too good to be true............

PH

Which means it is nice looking hive that above!

 

[admin]

How many times a day would you have to refil that glass feeder ?

 

[RoofTops]

In which drawer do you put your socks?

 

[jezd]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestwoqueenhive.htm

 

[Somerford]

I think a cabinet maker had alot of time on their hands - I bet there is a good book to read about how to operate it. Does it receive email ?

S

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes.

Located where.

Similar flow conditions?

Continental type conditions do not translate into maritime ones.

PH

 

[Crg]

Anyone planning on trying double queen hives this season?

Been reading up on this one and its of interest, just curious.

I've kept double queen hives in NZ, and will be keeping a few this year. Though using a different method.

 

[Mike a]

I've kept double queen hives in NZ, and will be keeping a few this year. Though using a different method.

Would you enlighten us with your method and hive type. As I've said already I looked for info on the net and found very little information to promote the benefits of duel queens without the hassle of moving a stack of brood chambers in the process.

I run a Dartington style hive at the moment which is said to be a good hive to use.

 

[jezd]

Yes.

Located where.

Similar flow conditions?

Continental type conditions do not translate into maritime ones.

PH

Yeh but PH ever location is different for flow conditions, Europe hardly has one set of conditions same as the UK is so varied.

 

[jezd]

'Mike a', care to expand on your method?

I assume you unite at the end of the season, I think this is another positive from double queens. That way you have big strong colonies going into Winter and if you are rolling (mother and daughter queens) in new queens this takes care of requeening.

JD

 

[Repwoc]

David Cramp has a section in his book about this. He describes it as a method of building a v. large colony to take advantage of a flow, so it's important to have good local flora knowledge and to get the timing right. The colonies are re-united ~ a month before the flow ends, resulting in death for the old (one hopes) queen, so re-queening occurs as part of the process.

 

[Mike a]

'Mike a', care to expand on your method?

I assume you unite at the end of the season, I think this is another positive from double queens. That way you have big strong colonies going into Winter and if you are rolling (mother and daughter queens) in new queens this takes care of requeening.

JD

Sorry Jezd
Although I have a Dartington style hive I only have one colony in it so its the same as a double Deep National (14x12) but I've since removed the divider board shown in the first picture and used it as a wind break shown in the second picture. The hive body is home made from 18mm pine coated in 2 coats of linseed oil and the girls have come through winter very well.

 

[Crg]

very little information to promote the benefits of duel queens without the hassle of moving a stack of brood chambers in the process.

In NZ I had limited space so the "having a stack of brood" chambers was the trade off. A bit more hassle in manipulation, but getting slightly more (in terms of yield) than I would get if I had twice the space with single queen colonies.

There are other ways to have two queen hives than a stack of brood though - you can put the brood boxes side by side for example. Which, now I have more space, I will be doing this year.

As to what the benefits of a two queen system are - to be honest I'm always a little surprised by that question. Surplus bees make surplus honey - the more bees the more honey (if it's there to collect).

Apparently you can use it for varroa monitoring/measuring, though I've never used it for that purpose modified_two_queen_system

 

[Mike a]

modified_two_queen_system

Thanks for the link, I will read it thoroughly after I've sent this reply. I think my dartington would be an ideal hive, although I would need to make up two quarter length roof sections and another to sit on the super plus buy two more plastic QE.

I'll let you know if I try it this year, but as it stands I think I have enough projects to worry about for 2010 but time will tell.