I inspected the new hive yesterday. In the medium super (the topmost box) I spotted one queen. The number of bees seemed the same. There were empty cells, no larvae or capped brood. There was a small area on two abutting frames with nectar and capped honey.
The middle box (the top deep box) still had no drawn comb and only a few bees on it, mostly at the bottom. The bottom box had lots of bees. I didn't spot the queen, but there were larvae of all ages and capped (and hatching) brood. No extra honey stores.
I wonder what's going on in the two queen hive and if the bees in the top are even foraging. While looking in the box, I considered getting the paint and brush from the house to mark some bees. That way I could see if any of the bees going in and out of the hive were from there. I touche some bees on their back with a small stick to see how they'd react if I tried to mark them as they stood about. They didn't move much so it may be possible. I decided not to mark any then, but I'll think about doing it next week. I wouldn't want to accidentally get paint on their wings or eyes as they crawl about. Maybe there is an easy way to anesthetize them.
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