I was most interested to see Sid Pullinger's letter. I get more and more
convinced of the value of requeening every year but keeping a few old ones for
breeding. Stocks with young queens seem to come through the winter more safely,
to build up better in the spring and above all to swarm far less than  colonies
with older queens. If one raises as many queens as possible one can get rid  of
the poorer ones and improve the stocks. It amazes me that so few beekeepers go
in for raising a good supply of queens each year.  It has paid me hands
down.David Frimston