On 30 Mar 98 at 22:34, Bob Billson wrote:
 
> The Italian colony never seemed to do as well as the Buckfast even
> though they had a two week head start.  Last Spring was unusually
> wet and cold here in NJ.  The Italian package arrived first.  I was
> able to hive them a few days later.  The Buckfast arrived about a
> little over a week later. It was a few days before the rain stop and
> it was warm enough to hive them.  The Buckfast really took off.  The
> Italian colony just kind of lagging until mid-July, then they
> started to take off.
 
I have followed this thread with interest, and while I agree with the
majority of what has been written to date, would like to add my 2
cents worth.
        First I would like to tell you a little story, having just put the
phone down answering similar problems from a customer.
        Scene setting. New bee keeper, brand new hive, all foundation and a
nuc supplied by a local bee keeper.
        Good year, two deeps full, plus some excess in a shallow. Lots of
bees, well medicated, and fed in the fall. No mites.
        Early season checks, all alive and making noises, cleansing flights.
A phone call yesterday from a despondent newbee, hive dead.
        Long discussions on the phone and finally I picked up a small
point. He helped the nuc supplier to split the hive, find the queen
(which he was given) which he then put under his arm and took home.
        Queen failure! Classical case of an old queen not making it through
the winter, which I would suggest is the problem with our original
poster's hive.
        As Aaron so frequently says 'buyer beware', they are not all honest
or knowledgeable bee raisers.
 
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