Two unmated queens in the obs hive?

[twb]

When I give honey bee educational talks to the public I tell them the first Q to emerge goes around stinging the others to death in their cells.  But, I have two Q's in the obs hive for the second year in a row.  I watched them actually meet on the comb but no battle yet.  Does it take a few days?  What really happens in there?  I hear another Q "quacking" from its capped Q cell.  Fun :). 

[Michael Bush]

I stayed up all night one night waiting for the battle in my observation hive.  Finally gave up and went to bed.  But the other one was gone when I got up.  They met many times while I was watching and no fight.

[twb]

That's funny, MB.

And here's another....  This morning I see only one queen and she is not one of the two seen yesterday.  This one looks like she has mated and she's tiger striped and not dark colored like the other two.

[JP]

They don't always do what the books say. I caught 9 queens from a cut-out a few yrs back.


...JP