How To Setup Two Queen Hive

[@MrBeachbums5]

I thought I was the only one who did that circle dance with my smoker.

[@hatranha2011]

Thanks, 😮, ❤❤, 😅😅😅.

[@TimeIsHoney]

My mentor was just telling me about this technique:)

[@ambercsutton]

Thank you for making this! Could I leave the “duo-colony” like this forever, or do you have to separate them after a period of time?

[@OkAdventure994]

Theoretically you could leave them forever like this.

[@BrokePhilanthropist]

Thanks man

[@TSIRHCSEVAS]

Do you pinch the newspaper as you didn’t?

[@jonclemons1421]

The combination hive looks good. I may try that very soon. The question I would ask is, would it be acceptable for both colonies if you put a separate entrance for the top colony to come and go from? Or would you have fighting and they kill one or the other queens? And how will you feed these colonies in the meantime?

[@OkAdventure994]

Yes you can run a top entrance as long as you follow the same setup process. I have done this as well. Just have less robbing in dearth with a bottom entrance. If you wanted to feed syrup. I would just feed the top hive. Just remember that all syrup or honey will normally be stored in top two boxes.

[@th4678]

Just to make sure, the brood chambers of each queen are kept separate by the excluders but the worker bees from each queen will commingle their honey with the supers?

[@OkAdventure994]

Correct

[@framcesmoore]

Nice video but what about the drone bees they can not get out

[@OkAdventure994]

That’s correct. You can put a top entrance for the drones. Everything will still work the same.

[@Jan-sb2ql]

Right. Arresting the drones inside makes enormous stress and suffering to the top colony.

[@johnbellamy3784]

No upper entrance?

[@OkAdventure994]

no need for one

[@noahriding5780]

Would this work for overwintering 2 hives together when one of them is much weaker, and couldn't make it on its own? Has anyone tried it this way? And is there increased chances of swarming and losing bees doing this kind of technique?

[@OkAdventure994]

To your first question yes and no. Yes you could do it but I would put a screen to separate them not a queen excluder. That way the heat from the bottom hive could go up but the bees stayed separate. And yes there is a chance of increased swarming. But I have never had it happen because I don’t leave the top hive for very long.

[@fredfable5655]

Not this way, this is wrong in my book. chances of swarming? quite the opposite, you will have two queens pheromones in that hive, no swarming reported in my case. I overwinter with the two queens apart , when I get the big hive Im looking for I remove one of the queens and make a new hive with her.

[@thomaspa8118]

Hi