2 queens, one 5 frame nuc.

[van from Arkansas]

Title says it all, 2 frames in a 5 frame nuc.

History;  package installed into a five frame nuc, 3rd week of March.  Two weeks later, I find queens cells and a laying queen, I took no action.  Let the bees do their thing.  Two more weeks, queen cells torn down and spotted a laying queen.  One more week, today, spotted two queens on the same frame, no piping, one queen very shy, running from light [mated?]?another queen very calm and laying.

Again, I took no action.  Just letting these bees do their thing.  There are 4 frames of bees in this 5 frame nuc today Saturday May 2 or 3?  I don?t see enough bees for a swarm, queen has room to lay.  However, I did not say the bees won?t swarm, I have been fooled before, many a time.

I find 2 queens in a hive every May.  Not sure what to think?  Both queens are big beautiful Italian.

Anybody comments???

[BeeMaster2]

Van,
supercedure, you have a mother and daughter laying side by side. 20% of hives end up with this situation every year.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Mr Van, Mr HP taught me that one frame of capped brood yields three frames of bees in 1 week. It does not take long for the bees to multiply (build up) in you type of situation, needing extra space in a short amount of time. (Of course you already know this), I did not know this until Mr HP educated me. I suppose that the breeders such the fellow in Georgia that I have purchased queens from, uses a full two frame mating nuc instead of the old smaller type mating nucs to buy himself a little extra time. This is an interesting (experiment) that you are doing. Like you, I would like to hear different comments and points of view on this. 

Phillip

[van from Arkansas]

This is one instance I wished I had marked the original Italian queen from the package bees.  I enjoy package bees, they just amazing to me.  Last year I did not purchase any packages and I missed the fun.  This package has me thinking: laying queen, queen cells, supersedure, now 2 queens.

I?ll need to place the nuc in a ten frame next week, waiting on the outcome before I disturb the hive again.