Waldemar asked:
> Are low 70's high enough or is this virgin
> doomed?

Well, 70s (21C) is warm enough for the queen to get mated, but I'm not sure
that is the question you should be asking.  Assume the (no longer) virgin
DOES get well mated.  What you really should be asking is, "In mid-October,
will a well mated supersedure queen be able to raise enough over-wintering
bees for a colony of honey bees to successfully over winter."  In my neck of
the woods (upstate New York about 130 miles (210km) north of Long Island I
would bet not.  It depends on the number of young bees already in the hive,
existing stores, and how severe will be the winter of 04-05.  In these
parts, brood rearing is definite wending down, with at most 2 more brood
cycles to come (more likely only one).  And that's from an established
queen.  I would not rely on a supersedure queen at this time of year in my
locale.  Granted, Long Island winters are less severe than Round Lake
winters, I am not as moderated by the Atlantic ocean.  But I don't think the
difference is all that much.  If I had a hive with a supersedure queen (well
mated or not) at this time of year in upstate New York (Round Lake) vs.
downstate New York (Long Island), I'd be looking for a hive with which to
unite the superseded hive.

Aaron Morris - thinking take your losses in the fall!

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