Textbooks have data and facts to back them up, and they offer the training
in printed form that we rely on when discussing (or arguing) issues here.  


Based on the above,  I decide you have a point,    I do have the copy of
ABC,XYZ sitting next to the remote,  so I took another look.

This discussion started on Local adaptations and epigenetic changes.  Since
ABS is set up like a dictionary  I thought what the heck...  So I looked up
epigenetic changes,  what the heck??  My version must not be updated!
Nothing there.... so I looked up genetics,  again....  a blank...
scratching my head I decided to look up queen breeding... ahh success.

And to paraphrase AI Root.....  "the best queens should be selected and sent
south for breeding"   What??  The book says send your queens south?
Certainly that runs contrary to local adaptation and the success of the
apiaries?  Certainly  not.. so I read further....  and came to a interesting
section on packages...  and again paraphrasing  "lacking a vigorous
inspection program,  package bees are by far the best choice to start new
hives.  The lack of comb and clean bees, will allow a new hive to be started
without the spores of foulbrood"

I dug further..... certain I must have read wrong!  Surely the founders of
this knew that southern queens could never survive in NY!  But alas,  I was
dismayed.  Even tot eh point of reading about the fact that queen
supercedure in packages was pretty much normal, and might be eliminated by
the addition of young brood after 2 weeks.   It seems the Roots learned that
the low amount of young nurse bees triggered a requeening process.  Not the
poor quality of the queen.   In fact  (again paraphrasing) "many fine young
queens are replaced needlessly"     They also mention that queens that are
allowed to reach there full potential (laying 1000 eggs a day) and then
stopped were in fact inferior to queens selected early.  
Kinda throws a wrench in that "they picked the queens to early" concept!


Your 100% right.  I need to read more....
I did order a copy of "the beekeepers handbook"  Not one on my shelf yet,  I
sure it may enlighten me as to what locals are better....

My apologies,  my bookshelf is a bit short as I try to actually keep a lot
of bees instead of reading about it.....

Charles

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