> I can imagine that in US you might need to replace as many as 30% per
annum
> whereas in UK we can replace much smaller percentages, because the queens
> have a longer life and many of the strains involved use supercedure as a
> means of retaining useful genes and replqacing queens with low pheromone
> levels. But if 50% are required to be replaced on a two year cycle then I
> reckon there is something missing in the quality of the queens in the
first
> place.

I doubt on average that queens in UK live longer than queens in US.  Queens
that are managed for maximum brood rearing may run out of sperm sooner than
others, but IMHO UK queens and an US queens setting side by side and managed
the same would average similar life spans.  The US has very diverse
beekeeping regions some similar to the UK.  The US also has beekeepers that
practice every imaginable management style and some not imaginable.  Some
management styles and some beekeeping regions may lend themselves to longer
lived queens.
    It is well documented that as queens age it is more likely for a colony
to swarm and maintain brood rearing at acceptable levels.  It is up to the
beekeeper to decide at what point in the queens life she is no longer
useful.
    I have kept a few breeder queens 5 to 6 years.

Marc Studebaker

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