In message <C369A193386F4A52941E7C8417052783@bobPC>, Bob Harrison 
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>My experience has been problems with yards with third year queens but 
>others may have different experience. I recall Murray saying he has had 
>luck with older queens.

Hi Bob,

You are correct in what you say but really its a bit like comparing 
apples and pears.

I can get queens going strong third year (even occasionally fourth in 
exceptions) because if you look over the lifetime of the queen she will 
have done a lot less work than your 2 year queens.

Our bees winter quite small, and only get into their laying stride in 
the latter half of April, building rapidly throughout May, and if 
conditions permit (they slow right down in dearths) spend around of 3 
months in full lay. In the warmer poly type hives this can stretch out 
to four months. Thats it. Any queen doing a 6 or more month season is 
going to burn out sooner and be 'old' earlier than ours.

My experience is probably a local curiosity and not relevant for warmer 
climates and for constant rapid laying bees that do not curtail brood 
rearing when dearths threaten. I would expect that in Missouri a third 
year queen going strong and not starting requeening preparations would 
be a rarity. Even here a sizeable number of those, and almost all fourth 
year ones, will supercede when coming under pressure.
-- 
Murray McGregor

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