>  those raising bees for packages and those 
> raising queens need bees that suit those 
> specialized functions where as their customers 
> may have very different needs.

Packages used to be available "queenless", allowing the beekeeper to pick his queen vendor based upon reputation, and get the package bees from elsewhere, often the one that can meet schedule needs.
But the "package" game changed, and prices went insane, so many of us stopped playing.

The optimal curve for anyone simply wanting to maintain numbers seems to still be to buy queens in fall, make splits in fall, and again in spring, when things go gangbusters, and stay away from packages.

Overwintered splits atop full-size colonies is one area where there is little debate about specifics, and little need for creativity, but I there has to be a northern latitude limit to the success of this approach.

 

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