Michael Palmer wrote:

>> otto wrote:  Re-queening with a "store
>> bought" queen would prevent me from developing a local genetic
>> strand...
>>    Accordingly, would it be better to kill the queen
>> every fall and let the hive make a new one?
>
> How about killing the old queen, and leaving a nice ripe cell?
> Mike


How about pulling the old queen (if she's had good traits like survival
without treatment) into a nuc?  Her genetics are still good.  If there
are swarm cells I make splits with those into nucs for later re-queening
of the big hives. I have enough drones, and am fairly isolated so my
resistant stock drones dominate the matings.  I keep the old queen nucs
through winter (I am in upstate SC and most survive) and  keep them
crowded so they make swarm cells for splits.  I clip my queens and the
hives are near the house so I can often recover the old queen, plus the
confusion  when she doesn't fly helps me spot the swarming activity. If
a virgin goes, at least I know when to find ripe swarm cells.  The
Russian mix  virgins tend to be fairly tolerant of each other, so tho
some have hatched there are often good cells remaining (and possible
secondary + swarms).

If you read George Imrie's Pink Pages you will find the excellent advice
that the best way to prevent swarming is be sure the queen has lots of
open drawn comb available that is not blocked by supers full of honey.
Thus when I crowd her, even in a nuc, I will get my well-made queen
cells.  I do bring in outside queens every year, but only from various
sources of disease/mite resistant stock.  I think diversity is extremely
important in developing  resistant bees at the
hobbyist/sideline/non-scientific level  (like me, with 25-50 hives)
In-breeding, or focusing on minimal loci for desirable traits, is only
for those with more resources, instrumental insemination, objective
testing, large drone populations, multiple lines to hybridize, etc.
JMHO, tho something I'm doing is working with no hard chemicals in 8
years, not even formic for 4.  Of course I may just be breeding weaker
mites and diseases....who knows?

Carolyn in SC, Lakelands Beekeepers Association

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::