I rarely post on this list as I see it as mostly for commercials- but on this issue I have felt a bit compelled.  In our area, nucs have worked well for newbees couched in a program of education and mentoring even if there are a few less than desirable sellers and poor quality out there- the creme is rising! The supply does not equal demand- so teaching folks how to make them and teaching the customers what a quality nuc is helps success. We have nuc teaching and education built into our club programs and Bee Schools. "Know your farmer" (local or regional producers) helps with accountability - whereas with packages the attitude from sellers has been more like "too bad- get in line."

Regarding package failures, one theory I have is that it is the early packages in years when the weather is poor down South that are the worst performers mainly due to poor mating or as was the case this year- early build up down South followed by cold which left many colonies in post swarm mode and packages came up with virgin queens inside the packages.  Caged queens were ignored in large numbers and died. The poor weather here upon installation meant poor flying conditions and not enough drones in late March for the virgin to mate. Perhaps by the time packages get to Calgary or Upstate NY, the packages are of better quality due to more favorable weather conditions where they are produced.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html