Randy, I completely agreed with your post up until you said this:

"I've personally addressed the problem by not using synthetic miticides and
avoiding agricultural pesticides as much as possible, but mostly by selling
off a third to half of all my brood combs as nucs every season.  This gives
me fresh combs each year, and nice, relatively new combs to sell in my
nucs.  A win-win situation.  I recover the cost of comb replacement in
setting the cost of my nucs."

Lately, I've become a big fan of packages for new beekeepers instead of nucs.  You may sell off "relatively new" combs in your nucs, Randy, but I've seen those that don't.  I would be embarrassed to sell to hobbyists some of the combs I've seen being sold in nucs to newbees.  I think it is irresponsible, as brand-new beekeepers often/usually don't even realize what they are getting or what they should do with it.  The only solution I see is to promote the purchase of packages instead.

Christina

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