Recent post: I got started with NZ packages and used them to supplement losses as necessary. I now find local breeders can supply requirments. In my veiw Canada is now independent from the need to source queens/packages externally. I think this post is incorrect although only my opinion. We buy queens for one reason in Missouri and we have milder winters than Canada. Lack of drones at mating time. We can produce plenty of queen cells any time in the spring but our local queen breeders do not graft queens till there are drones capped over and thats the absolute earliest time. When we get cold and wet Aprils most queens don't get mated. We have (myself included) have raised a few queens because this year is the warmest 12 months since record keeping in our area. I started my queens March 6th. this year and 4 out of 5 are laying now. If i could count on success like that every year then i wouldn't have to buy queens. I need queens a full month earlier to produce a decent honey crop. Do the math and i think Canada will see it still needs outside queens. If Canada breeders have a solution to the drone problem in spring please email as i would like to stop buying queens although i am very satisfied with my out of state queen breeder. If Canada is raising the queens in the fall and overwintering like Brother Adam did then i understand but if raising queens in the spring i would think the raising of queens would hurt the honey production because of the extra month plus raising said queens. Happy beekeeping! Bob Harrison Backwoods of Missouri,U.S.A.