Two Queens

[MuswellMetro]

OK, beekeeping malpratice here, lets not go into why, how or when or lets just say its was a senior moment but i have two queens in one hive


i have had a Nuc installed in a 14x12 for six weeks and today, i have found i have two clipped and marked 2010 queens in it

one is a brown carnie X and the other is yellow Italian F1,

So what do i do, just leave them?

they are laying on the same frame and where both virgins queen mid may and must have been happily laying since june in the same hive. just co exhisting like mother and daughter...but are not

 

[Queens59]

I read in a book - please don't ask which one, I have read soooo many in the last few weeks - that some hives can happily exist with 2 Q and produce more/ bulk up the colony quicker etc. They will continue until one dies, then the other takes over - or the book suggested splitting off one in Autumn or 'disposing' of one - although that seems a bit mean if they are happy...If you need the book title I could find it...possibly...maybe...one day...

 

[Poly Hive]

If it is not essential for YOUR beekeeping reasons to use one then hey? Just enjoy it.

PH

 

[mstrom]

ha i have 4 sisters and i don't think my mother ever used the words co-existing and happily in the same breath when we were teenagers....

 

[kazmcc]

i have 3 boys and those word certainly don't pass my lips, 6 weeks holiday to look forward to now also.

Back to the bees, what would be the problem if the workers are happy for there to be two queens? I imagine the hive would get pretty crowded pretty soon. Would it not be better to split them and create 2 colonies? Could someone with experience of this please let me know. I want to be prepared for every eventuality, and after reading pretty much every thread this forum has, I think Paul might be a bit suprised by some of my questions come Tuesday lol