>>rather inapparent infections. You could spread some new virus all 
over the state without knowing it by dividing only the weak hives, IF 
that was why they were weak.

Well, I don't spend my life deciding if I'm gonna do or not gonna do 
something 'cause there might be some invisible, nebulous, undetectable, 
unknown , what if the sky is falling, chicken little, disease. Come on 
Pete. You are whipping the horse. Listen again. Unproductive doesn't 
mean weak and sick.
> >>I am not saying that you would do this, just lending credence to the idea that it is better to break up the best colonies to get the best results. Again, this is if the aim is to raise bees instead of to produce honey right away.
>    
But splitting strong colonies reduces the honey crop in most years and 
eliminates it in a year like this. Nuking unproductive colonies instead 
of requeening for next year, maintains the productivity of the honey 
producers and gets you the nucs you need.
> >>In a migratory operation, you could do both. In apiaries located at or near the North Pole, I don't know what you could do. I do know that packages can make a righteous honey crop up North.
>    
The North Pole...Pete? No one keeps bees at the North Pole, and when was 
the last time you saw packages make a righteous crop in New York State? 
That lovely, chalk ridden mess in Ithaca? They couldn't get out of their 
own way.
> >>So -- it stands to reason that if you had strong colonies in the spring, you could split them up, add mated queens from the South, and they should build as fast as packages. I haven't tried that.
>    
Really? Never split a strong colony at dandelion and added a southern 
queen? Isn't that what's been the norm for generations?

 >>And they'd build up as fast as packages...

And I rest my case Pete. They'll build up as fast as packages.

thinking there can't be too many more straws to grasp...
Mike

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