>As you know, hard data is tough, since swarms can move in.  One would need
to check prior to swarming season each year to confirm no bee flight.

We clip and mark all queens so are well aware which colonies have survived.  However, my main records (in the Stud Book) are based on the queens rather than on colonies - so it would not be easy to calculate colony survival.

We do use separate management records for colonies based on hive numbers, but it would be hard work to go back and trace survival times as colonies are re-queened from time to time and may be split: most of these records becomes irrelevant after a month or two.  For breeding purposes it is the queen that matters.

Best wishes

Peter 
52°14'44.44"N, 1°50'35"W

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