>>IMHO, the difficulty was primarily due to terrible April/early May weather in northern Calif.  Queens could not get out to mate...and when they did, the matings were not good (insufficient drones?).  I have come to this conclusion because these weather conditions were what was 'different' in 2003 from recent years.

I do not necessary feel the weather was the factor.  I think drone saturation or lack thereof may have been.  In the past, the workers from the NWC queens were mostly the typically greyish.  This year, 90% the workers from the NWC queens look Italian.  The NWC queens look the same as in the past which speaks well of the breeder NWC queens from Sue Colby.  I think the breeder did not ensure sufficient NWC drones for mating.

Waldemar
Long Island, NY

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