I agree on being skeptical of claims of "how good queens used to be."
For one thing, almond pollination changed the game, with the growers
wanting strong colonies by mid-February, meaning that the queens are using
of their reserve of spermatozoa.
And remember that we didn't used to have the virus levels associated with
varroa, nor continual miticide exposure, nor Nosema varimorpha.
Nor as intense a demand for queens each season.
But even back then, the standard recommendation was to replace queens each
year.
In my own operation, free of synthetic miticides, with minimal ag exposure,
but with only a one-month brood break, we typically see most (but not all)
of our queens get superseded after 16 months (in August of their second
year).  Those kept in colonies controlled for size can last longer.

Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
530 277 4450
ScientificBeekeeping.com

             ***********************************************
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