> 1. Commercial beekeepers don't want them.  They want highly productive
> stock
> which is proven in their management system.

I think the above is the most accurate but free to beekeepers always spurs
interest (even if the queens cost tax payers a 100 bucks a queen it seems.)

My help at times can't believe me. If I replace a piece of furniture or
shelf or whatever when they ask what to do with it. I say sit out by the
highway with a big sign saying "free" on it. 90% of the stuff I would have
to haul to the dump or burn disappears!

> 2. Who would raise them?  If the government were to do it, they would cost
> the taxpayer at least $100 each.

Hell I would start up queen rearing myself if I could sell a queen for a
hundred bucks each! Heck I would supply the queens for fifty a piece and not
back out! the other fifty could go for the endless red tape involved with
such a government project.

I know a place in Texas I can get mature drones last of February! Great
fishing and I could work on my tan also!


> 3. 25% annually would not make a dent.  Some commercial beekeepers change
> their queens multiple times a year.

Some beekeepers do change queens multiple times a year but some only once a
year or every other year.
25% might work if commercial beeks would use the queens.

*if* the queens were close to the queens they use they might use the queens.


> 4. Most likely they would take a glance at the SMR queen patterns and
> those would be the hives that got requeened first.

No doubt about it!

*if* the queens were crossed with commercial lines ( NWC, Russian, Carni to
Italians) and a couple generations from the SMR breeder queen so the brood
patterns were not shotgun and honey production even fair beekeepers might
show interest. I can think a few ways unscrupulous beeks might scam such a
system.

The idea is sound but implementation might be tricky if the queens were as
Allen suggests with shotgun patterns.

bob

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