On 11/21/2012 9:21 PM, Bob Harrison wrote:
>  I see Mexican queens as an option also. Less than a dollar a piece.

Senor Alfredo Contreras visited me in my mating yard this past July, and 
helped us catch queens. Him muttering Enorme! Gigante!

Bill Mares and Pedro Salas were there to help translate what I couldn't 
understand. Alfredo and his father are beekeepers from Oaxaca, Mexico, 
and own a beekeeping supply business providing equipment, nucleus 
colonies, and queens to the local beekeepers. We compared notes on 
prices for our products. Talked about queen availability and quality.

Not just anybody can sell queens in Mexico. All queen breeding 
operations are regulated, and surveyed for africanization. Requeening is 
a constant battle, with I think he said, 20% african. Not cheap either. 
His queens are costing between US $15 and $20 apiece...not the $1 you 
speak of Bob. I don't know if there are black market queens being raised 
in Mexico and shipped to the US at $1, and maybe you're correct. Thing 
is, they cost way more than that in Oaxaca.
mike

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