Allen;
Not only do I agree with EVERYTHING you said, but you "said it" so much better
than I could possibly do.

However, I want to be very specific about why a hobbyist with a few colonies
in
his back yard should RE-queen annually, and preferably in the fall rather than
spring.  When apis mellifera scutellata arrived in the U. S., shortly
thereafter
Hollywood fiction movies about "KILLER bees" scared the be jeepers out of most
uninformed American adults; and suddenly, the American public did not want a
honey bee within a 100 miles of their little white home in that friendly
community of
WONDERFUL AMERICA.

Very young queens have the ability to produce large quantities of queen
pheromone
which INHIBITS swarming impulses.  Queens older than 13 months no longer can
produce much queen pheromone.  Hence, by fall requeening ANNUALLY, the
hobbyist
accomplishes three things: swarming is diminished so neighbors don't call the
police: his colony produces lots of honey that he can "give" to the
neighbors; and
lastly, his "pure" Italians or "pure" Carniolans remain "pure" by requeening
as
opposed to having a daughter virgin queen being mated with every Tom. Dick,
and Harry drone that drifts down the street.

Allen, I hope I see you at the ABF meeting in Jacksonville in January.  Watch
for me
as I "whiz" around on my electric scooter (wheelchair).

George Imirie, retired scientist
Certified EAS Master Beekeeper
Starting my 72nd consecutive year of beekeeping near Washington, DC.

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