>>Most commercial beekeepers raise there own queens and less loss. Queens 
suffer stress due to shipping and handling so the high loss.

The following is based on my casual observation.  I think newly mated queens need to go through a 'timely egg laying ramp-up' to reach their full productive potential.  I've had cases where, when this cycle was interrupted, the queens seemed average at best.  Regardless of their size.  Caging, shipping, the needed hive introduction in a cage all equate to time interruption in the ramp-up.

Caging and intro of more mature queens does not seem to affect them.

Anybody else have thoughts on this?

Waldemar

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