> "That hive was the first in the yard to go over the limit, and it was started from a package."
> Was the package loaded with mites when you got it?  Was it shipped from Georgia or did it come from a northern breeder?

Y'know, I didn't check it on arrival. Why would I? In hindsight, I wish I had. I would rather not say who sold it, as he is a friend of mine. 

Calderone and Strange did a study on packages, and what is in them. Unfortunately, they felt compelled to keep the sources blind, so all one can say is some packages are better than others.

SEE:
Strange, J.P. Cicciarelli, R.P., Calderone N.W. (2008). What's in that package? An evaluation of quality of package honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) shipments in the United States. J. Econ. Entomol. 101: 668-673.

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