Two queens after colony combining

[Antipodes]

I have a colony with two queens. Common enough with a supersedure situation or virgin queens, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever found that two laying queens will be allowed to co-exist for a (relatively) long time after combining colonies?
I combined multiple colonies into one back in late February ....well, I think it was February... there was no fighting, and today I saw two queens on an inspection. When I noticed them, they were happily together (very close) on the comb. I initially thought supersedure, but then mused on the possible alternative.

 

[enrico]

I have a colony with two queens. Common enough with a supersedure situation or virgin queens, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever found that two laying queens will be allowed to co-exist for a (relatively) long time after combining colonies?
I combined multiple colonies into one back in late February ....well, I think it was February... there was no fighting, and today I saw two queens on an inspection. When I noticed them, they were happily together (very close) on the comb. I initially thought supersedure, but then mused on the possible alternative.

never found it but it is quite sweet that they may be getting along

 

[fian]

If in doubt, you have flipped a coin and it has landed on its edge (the usual situation would have been an attack or a swarm). I would consider taking their descendants as producers of drones or queens.

 

[jeff33]

I have never risked combining with 2 queens. Usually, I will either nuc or kill 1 before uniting...to answer your question, I don't know, sorry.

 

[Antipodes]

never found it but it is quite sweet that they may be getting along

I've done some searching and think queens from different colonies wouldn't ever coexist after combination, even when combining multiple queenright colonies. So it is a late summer/autumn supersedure, most likely after the combining. I now think that rather than getting along swimmingly, the fact that the two queens were very close together on the comb is possibly telling because the young queen is probably hassling the older one. The older queen is completely wingless and apparently the wings are the first thing to be torn off by the younger queen, followed by hair etc. Here is a photo I took of the older one without wings (actually, there is a little stub left on one side). I've never seen this before . I've put her in a nuc. now as she seems to have a fair bit of pep left.

 

[Antipodes]

The other queen.

 

[Anduril]

I've done some searching and think queens from different colonies wouldn't ever coexist after combination, even when combining multiple queenright colonies.

Supersedure queen, otherwise the only other way to have multiple queens in a hive is by clipping the mandibular glands, which stops those queens producing queen substance.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have never risked combining with 2 queens. Usually, I will either nuc or kill 1 before uniting

done it a few times, but only when either queen would have been good to head the new colony.
with the timescale mentioned since the unite, I would bet on it being a perfect supersedure.