> I think the idea that bees from the south are less hardy is a myth."

> If it is a myth, the myth persists here too. My limited experience with Californian queens is that they are excellent producers, raising huge amounts of brood, producing a good crop, but that they overwinter poorly. 

I don't doubt that you had bees which did that, but logic doesn't support the conclusion that because those bees did poorly, therefore bees from the south are not winter hardy. 

Just as likely that the problem lies in producers trying to raise too many queens too early, to capitalize on the northern demand for queens in April and May, which could lead to poor queens, supersedure and failure to winter over. 

But whose fault is it? The producer who produces queens as cheaply as possible to meet the demand, or the customers who create the demand for queens out of season?

PLB

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