Two Queen and Double Queen Hives

[polymath]

With the publication of Allan Wade's book I wondered if there are any other people in the UK actively keeping Two Queen (i.e. only a queen excluder between two queens and generally run with a Consolidated Brood Nest, CBN) or Double Queen i.e. two queens separate brood, separate colonies but single stack of supers. For the last few years i have run one Double Queen and normally several two queen colonies. Attached is a short presentation i gave to my local division on what I am doing and also the adaption to the super and roof i made for Double Queen hives.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Usually got three or more colonies who have moved from being an early Demarree into a two queen system with just a shallow or two between the brood box, I then either split or unite at the end of the season depending on my requirements .
Running a multiple queen system is nothing new is it? Father Dugat's book "The Skyscraper Hive" was published way back in 1948

 

[polymath]

Usually got three or more colonies who have moved from being an early Demarree into a two queen system with just a shallow or two between the brood box, I then either split or unite at the end of the season depending on my requirements .
Running a multiple queen system is nothing new is it? Father Dugat's book "The Skyscraper Hive" was published way back in 1948

Agreed just seems to be very few people doing it. Do you run during the flow with supers between boxes or in effect entrance, brood, QE, Brood, QE, Supers as I do.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Agreed just seems to be very few people doing it. Do you run during the flow with supers between boxes or in effect entrance, brood, QE, Brood, QE, Supers as I do.

Entrance, brood, QX, supers,QX,Entrance (not always),Brood,QX, supers if more needed

 

[Finman]

I wonder, why to use 2 queens, because one queen can lay enough workers. Perhaps not black queens, but buckfast and Italians. But if you do select the queens, 2 box laying queens do not appear by themselves.

I use to join 4 box hives to one when main yield begings. Big hives are big enough, that no need to join.

Big hives bring much more honey than 2-4 box hives, because they can store nectar enough on those days, when nectar is abundant.

 

[Xadoc]

We're trying it this year with our flow super for the first time. Mainly because national size flow supers are as rare as hen's teeth, so it seems a good way to maximise their use - and it means we can efficiently and regularly remove the honey to manage the swarm instinct?
At least, that's the theory...

 

[BaconWizard]

I am trying it this year but a variation: The two brood boxes are running cold-way and there is a dummy board in each, making each one effectively a 5-frame nuc. So it's 2 nucs with 2 queens, excluder on each. Communal supers stacked on top, making a single colony.

It's already given me some practical advantages:

I can enter brood box from the side without disassembling the entire stack, and when I do I am disturbing only half the colony.

It remains to be seen if the theoritical benefits manifest themselves or what disadvantages may crop-up. But I'm thinking I can just let one side or the other swarm or supercede if they want-to without too much disruption to the whole.

 

[Ian123]

I think you’ll find it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve tried it before and there’s no advantages. I’ve got some double nucs in single boxes and have added queen excluder with a super on top in times of a flow.
The obvious issue with your current set up is how long you could run a decent queen and expanding nuc on so few frames.
As for let 1 side or another get on with it you can do that far easier in another hive I’d presume.

 

[BaconWizard]

I think you’ll find it’s more trouble than it’s worth. I’ve tried it before and there’s no advantages. I’ve got some double nucs in single boxes and have added queen excluder with a super on top in times of a flow.
The obvious issue with your current set up is how long you could run a decent queen and expanding nuc on so few frames.
As for let 1 side or another get on with it you can do that far easier in another hive I’d presume.

The theory is (and according to a couple of people who’ve tried it and run it currently) that with supers on top, nurse bees are promoted to field bees faster then normal and this keeps the broodbox from congestion while the queen has limited room to lay. It’s the equivalent of removing a frame of brood every so often.

The result being less inclination to swarm and you get at least as much honey as a single deep.

But, I am not prepared to die on this hill, could be a total load of bs.
I’ll try it and see for myself. It’ll be a learning experience either way.