At 11:37 AM 11/13/2003, you wrote:
>Hi Jim & All,
>
> > a)  Pollination business
> > b)  Honey producing business
> > c)  Queen and Package business
> >
> > (a) and (b) are often semi-compatible with only minor
> > compromises in most years, but (c) is rarely compatible
> > with either (a) or (b).

I suspect the comparability depends greatly on your geographical
location.  In locations where the major honey flow is separated by several
months from early spring (the big queen and package business time) they are
likely much more compatible.  Those area where the flow coincides with the
spring package business is likely the least compatible.  So what you state
does not hold true for all areas.

Fortunately I'm in an area where they are much more compatible and even a
late april or early may nuc can be built up in time to produce honey with
the best of them in the same year, so there is also plenty of time for the
parent hives to recover before the flow.  In fact, many years if you don't
split (or use some other swarm control) hives get strong too fast and swarm
before the flow anyways.

-Tim

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