From: George Imrie: " However, I want to be very specific about why a
hobbyist with a few colonies in  his back yard should RE-queen annually, and
preferably in the fall rather than  spring."

People on this list tend to be quiet when in agreement .  Can I say George
has stated what I would support as one of the most important messages that
can be put to the hobby beekeeper, for exactly the reasons he gives.

Also, he has highlighted autumn re-queening, not spring.  Autumn queens have
a full summer ahead in which they can be evaluated - and the best kept
another year perhaps, the worst culled.  However, spring requeening is
easier, as new queens are produced naturally if the Demarree principle is
used to control swarming.  The problem is that spring queens cannot be
evaluated the same summer - the foragers are mostly the old queen's. And
they do have time to prove themselves next spring before spring  requeening
comes again.  So George is again so right to suggest autumn requeening, even
if it means replacing the spring queens with a batch of carefully reared and
mated late summer queens.

Bee-L archives are awfully hard to use - so many heads.  Is there a slot for
dropping just the very best safe reliable and useful advice as a step
towards a full definition of MODERN GOOD PRACTICE IN BEEKEEPING?  (which is
of course the Holy Grail I myself am always seeking). Could our moderators
consider starting such a pot?  How would we vote in or blackball specific
items?

Leave it to everyone to decide for themselves, I expect many will say.  My
interest in BEE-L is as a source of advice/information to include in
training new beekeepers (which is why I am sometimes provocative - it
flushes out comment) .  As a trainer, I have to have the courage of some
convictions.  I do not believe in leaving beginners to decide for
themselves, but in instilling fundamantal good principles that will keep the
beekeeper straight.  The time for forming your own opinions is when u have
advanced to an 'improver'.

Robin Dartington

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