I have noticed a singular lack of Carniolan suppliers in the eastern US. There's a place in South Carolina that offers them and one of the Weavers in Texas also supplies (sorry, I forget which Weaver). The great preponderance of Carniolan suppliers are in California. It seems that 95% percent of the suppliers east of the Mississippi offer primarily or only Italians. This has lead me to wonder about a couple of things: 1) why are there so darn few Carniolan suppliers in the eastern US; 2) why do the bee suppliers in the southeast US devote themselves almost exclusively to Italians; 3) what is the downside (or the upside) to someone like me (New Hampshire) ordering Carniolans from the other side of the continent? thnx, Rick Haver [log in to unmask]