> Pete,  I realize brother Adam is one of our pioneers,  but that is at least 70 year old information.  In one moment you ask why we make no progress,  then quote ancient history as the standard!

I am not pointing to "ancient history" as the standard but showing that this is a well established fact. Besides, almost 70 years is not old, that's how old I am. But mainly it was in response to Bill's question if honey bees are either a queen or a worker. It appears that there is a range. Robert Page (and I recall Randy) says that the queen is the "default." According to Page, the workers are systematically under-fed. This ties in with the fact that bees tend to raise queens and drones during times of abundance. 

Regarding standards, I think I have made it clear that a product that performs as advertised is what beekeepers seek. Books have been recommending replacing queens annually for 100 years or more (ancient history). If beekeepers are in fact interested in fast buildup but care little about longevity, then it matters little if a queen burns herself out in a year. Honestly, I understand the fact that the practical beekeeper wants info he or she can use. And that researchers spend a lot of time on other questions. 

I should mention that I have bought $300 queens in the past for breeding purposes and I never expected to get more than one season out of them.

PLB

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