>I suggest purchasing different queens from different sources.

Well, yes, and no.  If you really think there are "better" genetics than what you have, you should get them....but at some point, you have to sort out what you have...you have to let selection take place....you have to achieve some kind of uniformity...this you can only do by limiting what genetics come in...not by bringing in the "best" every year.

* * *

You are entitled to your opinion, and this mirrors to some extent what Randy says. But he has a pretty large population to work with. Small timers with a couple dozen hives are just kidding themselves when they imagine that they are "making progress" in developing some sort of uniquely adapted stock. 

Whereas, professional breeders are selecting over thousands of colonies and fixing traits that can improve the overall quality of the stock they use. That's why I continually point to Danny Weaver as a vanguard in this field. Danny has tens of thousands of hives at his disposal, and has a sharp intellect. He knows what works and how to get it.

That isn't to say that others have not done similar things, albeit with a different approach. However, my point of view is that there is no harm and plenty of benefit from buying quality queens from different sources and attempting to produce good stock by an additive, not subtractive, method. The crap falls by the wayside in any case.

The whole uniformity thing is a throwback to a bygone era. Colonies are not and never have been uniform. Beekeepers and researchers all wish they were, but they vary as much as people do. Better to encourage variation and lean on the ones that have the qualities you want, instead of trying to develop some sort of "golden mean". 

PLB

PS, do us all a favor and leave Arizona out of any discussion of bee breeding. It is widely known that the beekeepers in Arizona are mostly swarm collectors, and their bees -- whatever their wonderful qualities -- are the product of a large feral population. We have no such large diversified genetic resource in the Northeast, so it is worth noting the difference when discussing bee breeding.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm