Hello Allen & All,
Queen standards are a excellent idea but I doubt you could ever get a system
in place. I complained in the 80's when *Huck Babcock- Queen Breeder* was
ripping people off. I still remember Hucks motto:
*Early Bird gets Worm*(page 840 Dec. 1983 ABJ ).
Huck ripped beekeepers off year after year. Took money and never sent the
queens. Every month complaints about his business pactices were heard.
Huck's full page adds and claims about his queens brought him plenty of
business. I never ordered from *Huck* but heard plenty of stories from those
which did. The bee magazines ran *Buyer Beware* warnings about Huck but
still ran his full page adds. As far as I know Huck never got in any trouble
and moved when the heat from the queen buyers got to hot. Then he would pop
up again in another location. Maybe a few old beekeepers on Bee-L will
comment. I never met the man but his escapades are legendary.
Sincerely,
Bob Harrison