Hello Randy & All, Thanks for the update! John was still selling blow bees within the last decade but glad he moved into real beekeeping with all its problems.. The industry needs beekeepers like the Miller family. Many still depopulate all their hives each fall and repopulate in spring ( like they have for decades). I never considered those beekeepers as beekeepers but bee havors but understood the economics of the method. Think about the method for a minute. Set the hive on location. Shake in package. No treatments. super & remove honey crop. depopulate and go through boxes. From Gieco TV commercial: "So easy a cave man could do it!" When varroa hit John thought his method was the way we should all keep bees in the north.( From personal conversation at ABF convention in Norfolk). Let the package producers worry about varroa. I believe John would be still selling blow bees if he had not caught California almond fever. The current high price of almond pollination has changed the way many outfits operate. bob -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. ****************************************************** * Full guidelines for BEE-L posting are at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm * ******************************************************