Michael Palmer wrote:

 >> Swarm Queens are always the best queen as they are raised in the
 >> best of conditions.
 >>  Charlie

 > I haven't found supercedure queens to be inferior, and don't think
they are
 > necessarily raised in poor conditions. Some would say that raising queens
 > from swarm cells would lead to colonies more prone to swarming.

Sorry for not cutting much, but... both statements are true and both are
false. If you look at the archives there several threads about raising
queens from swarms, splits and supercedure. What I carried away from the
discussion was if the conditions are right you get good queens but if
not, you can easily get inferior queens.

My experience was you can do it for a while (even doing everything
right) and get away with it, but in the long run, it is better to
purchase queens and break the cycle. You may think you are breeding a
better bee, but it does not always  work out that way. The books are right.

Most commercial beekeepers on this list who have been around for a long
time requeen and manage to prevent swarms and supercedure. Most who were
adamant about using swarms and supercedure are not around.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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