Further to James Bach's wise remarks on queen quality and paucity of
alleels in the gene pool
I would add that GOOD QUEENS ARE WELL FED DURING DEVELOPEMENT
This produces queens with large thorax's, who hold their bodies high and
don't drag their abdomens about on the combs.
Good queen producers cull mishapen cells, cull small cells, cull all queens
that look small or whose thorax's are not hughe.
Good queen producers select for exceptional brood pattern of prospective
queen mothers,
any agressive queens do not make it into the breeding programme.   Good
queen producers accept queens back from customers when they are exceptional
producers in the field.
Good queens are raised from well nourished cells; this means that colonies
in all phases of  queen production are lavishly fed with syrup and pollen
in frames next to cells.   This is irrespective of a flow or not.
Such queens can be had from members of the British Columbia Queen Breeders
Association.
Two of whom are James Macdonald (250) 546 3237 and Elizabeth Huxter (250)
442 5223 Fax
(250) 442 3300
 
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