Hi All

I have written ceaselessly about the misinformed news media, fueled by grant hungry investigators, which all contend that colony losses are at an all-time high. Not so. In fact, here is an example. In the 1960s producers anticipated losses and the need to refresh their operations annually. 

This is from the ABJ, in 1969:

Many far northern honey producers kill off 50 to 80 percent of their colonies after their crop is produced and move the remaining selected two-story colonies to southern locations in late fall. During the late winter and spring months, they produce queens and divide the colonies. In April or May, they move nuclei to their northern locations where they become productive colonies. 

Apparently, most of these producers return four or more three or four-frame nuclei with young queens to the north for each colony brought south in the fall, but those more experienced in this practice produce six nuclei per colony moved south. These experienced producers report that the nuclei build up faster than package bees and that they have less queen loss from nosema and other causes.

Survey of the Package Bee and Queen Industry
by WILLIAM C. ROBERTS and WARD STANGER
January, 1969

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