The Double Queen Hive Returns!

Latest picture of the home yard: like five minutes ago.

 As you can see, I got the 8-frame hive in today.  And the double wide is a double double.

But back to the double queen hive:

I guess I missed a queen cell when I was in the hive a few days back.  They seem intent on superseding this queen for a third time.  The first one I took and put in a hive that was queenless last year.  The second one is now in a hive of her own.  I think I'm pushing my luck if I don't let this one be.  Plus it's obvious the old queen is not a high performer by herself.  In fact, due to the timing, this new virgin may actually be her granddaughter.  She's certainly different colored, more like the locals than the original or her daughter. 

It may be an interesting trait of this hive though that the old queen is not disposed of even when it's obvious that she's not pulling her weight and I wonder why that is.  I wonder if her daughter or granddaughter will keep it.  I don't think the old queen is laying many eggs at all though she's not yet a drone layer.  Tell me what you think.

Two Queens, One Hive

Here for your viewing pleasure is something not often seen.  This is a hive with two queens.  Click to see full size.

Now I've heard of cases where a superceded queen will not be killed off and the new queen will lay along side her mother.  But I've never heard of it lasting this long.

Last spring, I bought the marked queen (C shaped marking) from Zia Queenbee.  She ended up escaping upon being released in her new hive and I found her being balled at the entrance of another hive.  She has always looked greasy, I don't know why.  I was not surprised to find that she had been replaced last summer.  In her place I found a new queen, the one you see on the left.  After seeing her, I didn't keep looking.

Surprise surprise this morning, I was checking this hive for the first time this year and I found the old marked queen.  I looked on the other side of the frame and there was the new queen.  I did put the new queen on the same side as the old one so I could get a good picture, but other than that, what you see is what you get.  No tricks, no Photoshop, no special effects.  That is two queens in the same hive for at least six months including over winter.