Perfect brood pattern but hopeless queen

[Patrick]

Steve

Patrick
I would normally rear my own queens especially as I have a Buckfast breeder half a mile away and they normally come good, however you need good stock to breed from and I feel mine are all too far down the mongrel spectrum to be worth the effort.

Which is why I said if you have a good queen it is an option. Locally to you guys that seems not to be the case. Down here it is perfectly possible - but we are not immune to aggressive bees either. I just wish when they arise those who had them would requeen from their better ones as suggested and then we might all benefit.

It is pointless suggesting to everyone down here they buy in new queens every couple of years, it just isn't going to happen. But not propagating from bad colonies or letting them flood the area with knarley drones is entirely achievable.

[stechad]

Quick to match brood production with the flow and over-wintering small on limited stores - they are not fecund nor particularly good at honey production. They are doing what they want to do.

Andrew,
They behaved totally differently up in the Mountains with temps of 45 deg plus in summer and no winter to speak of just damn cold damp winter nights but around 20 deg during the day.
Swarmy yes, always enough bees for the flow that was on with January/February being the peak in terms of size, ready for the orange, lemon and olives. Unlike here they produced lots of honey.

[AdamD]

Article on brood pattern.
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/1/12?type=check_update&version=1