Now that this topic is about done and we have established that the 
technique is a valid one and can make as good a queen as any other 
method given the right conditions and the right beekeeper, I should 
point out why this technique is not for everyone, be not even me -- all 
the time.

I have been aware that it takes longer to get a laying queen using the 
walk-away method, but have been quite content with that, since I was 
not wanting to make honey or even a lot more splits.  Moreover, I was 
seldom home, and did not have a source of queens or the time or 
patience to raise cells. 

Walk-away was perfect, since it takes no resources and can be done 
by someone with no real beekeeping interest if the time and place and 
date are specified by a knowledgeable beekeeper. It amounts to 
boxkeeping.  Materials handling. A no-brainer.

I.e. I could phone and plead for some reluctant and uninterested 
someone to just bust my hives in half onto new floors, lid them and be 
pretty sure that most would turn out pretty darn good even if nobody 
looked again for two months. (I also requested a brood box be put 
under each half to allow for emerging brood and provide space, and 
later asked for some supers to go on top).

That said, my success has inspired me and now I want more. 
More bees, more hives, and maybe even some of that damned sticky 
heavy nuisance -- honey.

So, having been to EAS and having gotten Larry's book about increase 
(highly recommended), I see that he has quantized the various 
methods of splitting and requeening. Although a valid split, walk-away 
comes dead last for getting populations up in time for early crops or a 
second (late) split. 
The other methods are significantly faster unless the hives being walk-
awayed happen to have cells in progress, two queens, or even virgins. 
(That happens more often than one might think if the timing is right 
and/or the stock is Russian)

I still like walk-aways for the fact that all queens reproduce, not just 
the chosen ones, and the simplicity, however, if I am going to be 
around home more, and if I want to make more splits per hive, per 
year, I may have to consider the alternatives.

Raising nucs in my mind is a very good business, and quite forgiving as 
to timing, if one does not try to get too intensive (greedy?). It is also a 
good way to get rid of the stacks of brood boxes and supers around 
the place.

So, I'm saying walk-away is a perfectly valid method and one that does 
a good job with minimum requirements in terms of time and talent, and 
a good Plan B, however for a commercial enterprise, there are some 
fairly simple ways to increase the output, and theoretically, profits.
For the hobbyist with a few hives, particularly one with an aversion to 
opening hives, and little interest in honey it is a perfect way to make 
up for normal hive loss.  (Note: start with hygienic stock if you don't 
want to be always inspecting your hives like Bob).

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