>  Beekeepers who did not frequently replace their queen were 18 times more likely to have high winter losses (more than 10% of the colonies per apiary).

Fair enough, but this was a scientific study which factored many variables, and nailed this one thing as most significant. Annual requeening has long been recommended (100 years or more). The question is whether it matters to you to keep individual colonies alive for multiple seasons, for whatever reason -- or not. 

Annual requeening is essentially having brand new colonies in all the equipment, but instead of starting from scratch with packages, you start with a new queen and the bees and brood from the old one. It's an intensive management scheme. 

It's long been known that there are many styles of keeping bees ranging from very intensive, where one tries to make every hive a winner, to extensive where one tries to keep as many colonies as possible, and not focus too much on the average yield or survival rate. Just different ways to get to the same goal: making a profit with bees. 

There are also other goals, which have nothing to do with cost/benefit ratios. Depends what you are after

PLB

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