Personally I don't have a problem with posts regarding queen suppliers, either good or bad. After all, supplying queens is a business and we are the customers and we're always right! As long as we avoid slanderous statements and libel, we have the first amendment to protect us. I got stock this spring that I am not totally satisfied with, but it was from a local supplier that I tried out because I could pick up my bees in person and avoid the EXCESSIVE postal delivery fees. Based on a few months of working these bees, I'm not ready to make statements, good or bad about this supplier and will not do so. I can however tell the story behind my dissatisfaction. I purchased four 3 lb packages, all of which were in good shape. However, one of the packages came with queen and entourage, all of which were dead. I called the supplier and received a replacement in the mail (at no extra expense to me) the day after I notified the supplier. I had just started a new location and hived two of the packages at this site. When I brought the replacement queen to the queenless hive I discovered that most of the bees from the queenless hive had drifted to the queenright hive, so now I had a queen, but very few bees left in her hive. Rather than introduce her to what was now estimated to be less than a pound of bees, I shook the remaining bees in front of the queenright hive and used the replacement queen to make a split from one of my existing hives at another location. So I paid for four packages and ended up with three new hives and a split, which was not totally to my satisfaction. I tried to procure a replacement package, but at this point the supplier was only able to provide a nuc a few weeks later at full price. The savings I'd anticipated by avoiding the EXCESSIVE postage fees disappeared, and it would not be totally out of line to fault the supplier. But since this was my first experience with the supplier I'll cut them some slack. I would have been more satisfied had there been some sort of reduction in the price of the nuc, but I didn't press the issue. I have no complaints about the other three packages or the nuc and I will probably do business with them again to see if I am more satisfied. In previous seasons, before postal fees skyrocketed(!) I got my packages and queens from Weaver's Apiaries in Navistota, Texas. I can only say good things about Weaver's - they are always courteous on the phone, are usually close to the mark regarding delivery dates and their stock has never been anything short of excellent! They are a little pricey, but within a dollar or two or three of what I consider average. I also buy queens from Rossman Apiaries (I believe they're in Georgia, but I only have their phone number in my files under "Dial-A-Queen"). Rossman is also very courteous on the phone, very good at delivering when requested, provide excellent queens and can usually deliver queens on very short notice (call early today, queen late tomorrow). The only drawback with Rossman's is that they only raise Italian queens. So, that's my 2 cents worth. I'd be interested in other's experience. I'm not looking for suppliers to avoid, as I've established accounts with suppliers that meet my needs. I think I pay a few dollars more to these suppliers, but hey, they have to pay for those nice advertisements in ABJ! And I don't mind paying a few dollars more when the suppliers supply a good product in a service oriented manner. I suspect that if one shops for bargains they have to be prepared to sacrifice quality or service or both. I guess it's a trade off of how tolerant one can be vs how much money they want to "save". Personally I'd rather pay than tolerate. Aaron Morris - thinking it's shaping up to be a good honey year!