> A third question would be: what are the bee losses and how are these made up? 
 
reply;
Doing walk away splits with whole deep boxes of bees, brood, and stores in combs of real honey/pollen.

As usual, you sidestepped the question entirely. WHat are the bee losses? Supposedly "Organic Beekeepers never lose bees". This would be a real good time to disavow that statement, and be honest about how many of these treatment free hives just fizzle out. I have done bees for forty years and I know that bees let alone do OK. Not great, -- managed bees do better.  

But any number go queenless, get sick and die, etc. The key question is "what is that number?" Before varroa, 10% losses were considered disastrous by many. Now 30% is considered low. These losses can be made up by splits, that isn't rocket science. By the way, whether you collect swarms or do "walk away splits" you wind up with local bees, whatever they are.

PLB

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