In Brisbane, Queensland. Doing an inspection today on a hive that is the original of a split done two months ago, so still has our original one year old queen.
However this morning we think we found a second queen. I haven’t noticed any queen cells, just one small (pea size) cup that is unused.
Here’s two pics, screencapped from video. The first one looks a little darker and the second looks more like we are used to seeing.
I’m looking for advice from more expert keepers than I.
Should I try to take the new one out?
Leave them to sort it themselves?
Will one swarm away with half my hive?
Thanks in advance.
On further inspection of the video, there was a 55 second gap between replacing the frame the first one was on and lifting the next frame. We didn’t see the queen on the next frame as we weren’t looking, but saw her on replaying the video. There is a possibility she switched frames in that time. So it ‘could’ be it is just the same queen and the light is making them look different.
I’m currently uploading the video to YouTube and will post a link.
Video at https://youtu.be/BcOkGyVmrLA
At 7:20 we pull out a frame and see a queen and focus in on her.
At 9:20 we pull out the very next frame and miss seeing the queen.
The two sighting locations are on the same end of adjacent frames.
However I have seen 2 queens in one hive, only on one occasion. It was only because I split the hive (for a customer). I never spotted the queen, who turned up in the split. I fully expected the parent hive to have made emergency queens, however on inspection the brood was too old & numerous, while considering the time-lines. Performance suggested the young supersedure queen was in the split, with the end-of-life queen in the parent hive.
The performance of the young queen was so good that I’m breeding from her. Sadly I recently lost her, but her progeny lives on.
You’re welcome Clint. I suspect that you only have the one queen, because you didn’t see any remnants of a supersedure cell, plus your queen is still only young & quite vigorous (going by your video), assuming you got her at the same time you joined the forum.
