Thanks all for the advice, and especially the refund--which I spent frugally
on a survey of my site.  There are millions of dragonflys, damselflies and
birds, sitting next to a drain ditch that has water year around and not so
far from a river.  So that is a distinct possiblity, however, the drain is
sprayed regularly by vector control for misquitoes, where they avoid my
beehives, but possibly not my queens.  I believe timing of my splits is
optimum, since I am very successful everywhere but at this site
(uh-oh--that's another bunches of 2 cents; Alan, you are going to need a
truck for all those pennies pretty soon).  Oh, forgot to mention that it is
near a research station that I used to work for and the test plots are
sprayed for pests periodically.  However, I have never suffered a
measureable loss from those applications yet.
Therefore, after learning all this, especially that Alan gives refunds, I
think the queens are getting diverted to some hungry tummy, and I should
stop trying to make queens there..Unless anyone has a better suggestion?
 

Jim Smith
State of Jefferson
California
www.stateofjefferson.com
 

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