Can there be more than one queen bee in a colony at any given time?

In a typical beehive, there is generally one queen bee present at any given time. The role of the queen is essential for the colony as she is the sole egg-laying female and is responsible for the hive's reproductive success. When a queen becomes too old or unhealthy, or if the colony is strong enough to split, they may raise a new queen, but this process usually leads to the replacement of the old queen rather than coexistence.

While there are circumstances in which you may find multiple queens in a colony, such as during the swarming process when a new queen is raised, this situation is temporary. In a stable colony, the presence of a single queen contributes to the social structure and order of the hive. If the colony detects that there are two queens, they will often fight until only one remains. This behavior guarantees that the hive operates efficiently under the direction of a single queen.

Therefore, the statement that there is typically only one queen in a colony reflects the standard organization of bee societies.