Glad to see Mike Palmer weigh in. I always listen up when he speaks because he is one guy who knows what the f**k he is talking about. Also, no arguing with success. However Mike, I always worried a bit about your plan of using the backwards hives to make increase. Now, if it's just queen trouble or slow building stock, no matter. 

But if they had some kind of inapparent infection which was setting them back, it would be ill advised to propagate from those hives exclusively, because that could lead to a rampant infection. Hence, the wisdom of dividing up the healthiest best colonies. Of course, if the goal is to make as much honey as possible, dividing the powerhouses is probably going to torpedo that. 

PLB

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