Hi Mike & All,

> Feed them to get them through the winter, and use the bees and brood next year
> to make up nucs for your queen rearing.
> 
> Yes/No?
>

Yes, Mike. Just this fall I decided to feed a hand full of colonies that weighed in to light to winter. For the past four years I have not been feeding for study and for in search of breeding stock that could survive the condition of my location in Alaska. I also have learned by not feeding that I can winter bees up here better on honey stores rather than on sugar syrup. With honey stores only I have seen the strongest colonies I have ever seen come through winter in all of my short 13 year beekeeping experience. If these few colonies I decided to feed this fall survive the winter I will pull them from my breeding program so their genetics do not mix with my breeding stock. I will in addition requeen these few that were fed next season from my breeding stock or as you suggest make up nucs for your queen rearing or increase. I think I now have a good idea of the character I need in bees to survive up here on no to little feed after a harvest. 

Thanks Mike, for commenting here on this and prying this information out of me. 

 . ..   Keith Malone, Chugiak, Alaska USA, http://www.cer.org/,
c(((([ , Apiarian, http://takeoff.to/alaskahoney/,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akbeekeepers/ ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Norlandbeekeepers/ ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ApiarianBreedersGuild/

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