This may be just another stupid question but, is the lack of longevity really much more than queens not being mated well. Commercial produces have how many queens out for mating at any given time. I northern Cal they are practically in each others hip pockets. I know that they have drone producing colonies, but are there really enough drones. I have many times had queens that started out laying very good batches of brood, and after a few weeks, or months just poop out and get superceded. Others from the same order last for 2 years easily.
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