A clipped queen in a 1000 to 2000 hive operation in Australia saves
>much anguish and allows you to enjoy your beekeeping as you attempt to make
>money. As most operations of this size are a migratory system, and follow
>the honey flow through a number of States, over many miles each move. Using
>mobile extraction plants.
>Thanks from :
>                        [log in to unmask]
>                 http://www.eastend.com.au/~goble
>            [log in to unmask] ( David Goble )
>           American Beach Kangaroo Island South Australia
 
 
Thanks David.  Wow - what I still can't fathom is how much work it would be
to go through a couple thousand hives and find the queens to clip them.
You must figure that it's cost-efficient, as you are running commercial.
But - Don't you find that you lose swarms anyway, with virgins, leaving
colonies weakened for the honey flow?  Maybe I'm missing the point - I was
under the impression that even if the swarm returns to the parent because
the queen can't fly, they will abscond as soon as a new queen emerges from
a swarm cell.  Have you had this happen? and will the clipped queen remain
in the hive and begin laying again after a swarm emerges?
 
BTW just read "Queens-Land" about queen production in Australia which was
very interesting.
Thanks for any info.   Joel