Two Queen System

Over the past hundred years or so there have been many attempts to increase the number of foragers, by having more than one queen in a hive. Writers in several countries have described systems, but the ideas utilizing conventional modular hives are typified and simplified in Ron Brown’s booklet ‘A Simple Two-Queen System’ (1980).

Impressive yields have been reported but, probably due to the practical difficulties of access to brood and extra labour, the system has not gained much popularity. This could change with the introduction of the Drawhive.

The system basically consists of a queen-right colony, with supers above a queen excluder, as usual, plus another queen-right colony above a second queen excluder on top. A top entrance is arranged, either by cutting a piece out of the excluder frame, or boring a hole in the body. Another way is to make up a thin frame with a gap in one side, to put on the excluder. Otherwise, any drones raised in the top box may clog the excluder.

The double colony can put out a massive force of foragers and give a heavier crop than two separate colonies. However, in a bad season, a colony in a small brood box, such as standard British National, may produce a snatch crop where colonies in bigger boxes will not store honey in a super.

Two queen colonies normally have high morale and vigour, probably due to there being plenty of queen substance. It also provides an insurance against the loss of a queen.

The Drawhive makes the two queen system a practical proposition, because the bottom lot can be managed without dismantling the hive. The top body is a standard brood box. The system saves on a floor, crown board and roof.

It is usually recommended that the two queen units are united around the third week in June, but if increase is wanted, or you want to avoid lifting, the the two queens can be kept separate and any uniting done when removing the crop. With good weather and a heavy flow, these double colonies can quickly fill three supers. If it is suspected that this might be the case, the top queen excluder can be levered up to get a glimpse of the super combs. If new white wax is showing, then more supers are needed. These can go over the top colony above another queen excluder. Of course the supers would need lifting off to inspect the top colony, but with a young queen they are not likely to swarm so long as the honey flow lasts. The other alternative, putting fresh supers below the top brood box, gives easy access to the top box, but you may need to stand on something to get high enough.

Demaree

The arrangement can be brought about by demareeing a strong colony. That is a colony with seven or more frames of brood. The brood, except the frame with the queen, is placed over the supers and excluder, in a standard body. Two frames of food should be left with the queen and the box filled up with combs or frames of foundation. The nurse bees will climb up to cover the brood. The colony must be strong or there is a risk of chilling the brood. It helps to put insulation over the crown board. The next day, a screened board, with entrance, should be placed under the top box. .

After five days there should be queen cells in the top box.. There must be plenty of nurse bees, pollen and honey to rear good queens. A frame feeder is helpful while they are raising queens If there were cells before the split, these should be culled to open cells with well-reared larvae to ensure viability. Alternatively, all cells can be culled and a cell, or frame of eggs given from a breeder queen. A check should be made for rogue cells later.

When a mated queen is laying, the screened board is replaced with a queen excluder, with entrance. The bees will be seen to be busily bringing loads of pollen, to the top box, when the new queen is laying. A special board designed by Ron Brown provides the entrance and does away with the need to swap boards and excluders.

Bear in mind that it will be around six weeks before any extra foragers are available, so the operation must be done early enough to take advantage of a main flow. Generally, a good over-wintered colony fed 2.5 litres of syrup (1 kg : 750 ml) in the middle of March, and the same three weeks later, should have brood on at least seven frames by peak dandelion time, towards the end of April. Now is the time to make the split. At least one super should have been added when the second lot of syrup was taken down, to give enough room, and I would make it up to three, when putting the screened board under the top brood box, to save lifting later.

The unit should be able to take maximum advantage of a main flow starting around the end of June.

New Queen

If new queens are available, then some advantage in time can be achieved and a quicker build up of foragers.

An over-wintered colony is built up as above. The two queen unit is made up in an early flow. Two or three frames of brood are placed in the second queen brood body, with adhering bees. One frame should be sealed brood. If the parent body has adequate supplies, then a frame of new nectar and pollen should be given to the second queen unit. Bees from three more frames should be shaken in, as there will be a heavy drift back to the parent body. Obviously, the old queen must be left behind. The old body is made up with extra frames and the new unit is placed above supers and a screened board, double screened if no queen excluder is under the supers. A queen is introduced, by your favoured method, and the entrance moderately stuffed with green grass. The new unit should be slowly fed and a frame feeder of syrup is the obvious choice. Any other method would need a dummy board to confine the brood nest. The unit must be absolutely bee tight. Any robbing will reduce the chances of queen acceptance. After a week or so, the new queen should be laying well and the screened board can be replaced with an excluder. The new unit can build up very fast and more frames should be added ahead of need.

The two queen units can be united, without any special uniting procedure. If this is left until the crop is taken, the two colonies can be simply united below the clearer board.

If the Drawhive is moved to one side and replaced with the top brood box , which is given most of the sealed brood, plus an empty super or two, the resulting colony with a young queen and all the foragers would be very strong, and ideal to take up to the heather for a late honey flow.

The Drawhive would need watching to make sure the colony maintained enough stores.

This can give:-

• Higher yields with less equipment.

• Control of swarming.

• Simple re-queening every year.

• Increase if required.

• Strong colonies with high morale.

Setting Up