> Our problem is that we don't have the queens to supply to the queenless
> splits. The Aussies conveniently have queens available at that time of
> year.

Also the Aussies are nearing the end of their queen rearing and are
producing better queens as opposed too the start of their queen rearing. The 
first
round of U.S. queens from my experience can be problems in the U.S.

Queen producers in Hawaii were asked before the Aussie import to gear up and
fill the void created mainly by queens needed by beekeepers going into
almonds and those making splits after almonds.
They declined so the Aussie import moved forward.

However Kona Queen put on another crew in order to fill an order for 20,000 
queens for a beekeeper in the south at a time Kona had never supplied queens 
before.

Also two years ago around the third week of April we could not get queens
from a U.S. source. The Aussies supplied 500 queens to us within three days 
and
all arrived alive.

I will say I agree with David that for the most part to the commercial
beekeeper a queen is a queen and differences are minor but there are
differences.

 *If* you have been only buying U.S. queens then brining in outside genetics
will usually let you see some hybrid vigor. The most being seen with the
first introduction.( personal experience)

Another noticed trait we saw was flying earlier and later in the day and
flying in a light rain.( personal experience)

 Video of the above phenomenon was shown at several
meetings in spring 2005. Jerry Brown (commercial beekeeper Kansas/ 
California/ Texas/
Dakotas and secretary of the AHPA at the time ) took the video. Maybe not 
such a big deal to the honey producer but
when doing almonds, apples, cranberries pollination which bloom in rainy
weather the trait might help pollination.

I am still looking for the perfect bee for my needs but for now will settle
for bees from several U.S., Hawaii and Aussie queen producers.

None of today's queens seem to produce bees like 30-50 years ago ( mainly
before mites) and I am not sure why. Honey crops can be small with bloom for 
miles in all directions. Not sure why.

bob

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