a Beekeepers snip followed by > my comment.. 
Perhaps we should also consider worker longevity.

>There is an old queen rearer's rule that you can only get something (morphology or behavior trait) by giving something up.  I think it was Charlie Marzz who wrote an article in the ABJ (yes decades ago so do not ask me for the reference) about how you really did NOT want a queen with a extra ordinary egg laying capacity since these would also burn thru food resources quickly and invariable die by the middle of the winter (I should note here that in that era beekeepers did not feed like they do today). I would also guess these sorts of queens would burn themselves out fairly quickly. A dud is a dud so those disqualified themselves from what you wanted.  Consequently what any breeder or customer should desire is a queen who's egg laying capacity fall right in the middle of the distribution of queens egg laying capacity.

>I will add here that in some landscapes and or purposes for which people keep bees this basic idea has undoubtedly been abandoned.

>and as to your question... when raising queens for myself or to sale I certainly do!

Gene on the left coast for a short while...

 

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