A beekeeper in Kentucky writes: I'm planning on buying some queens this Spring. My beekeeper friends tell me to only buy local queens, but I'm having problems finding someone local to supply me any. What if I order queens from further away? Any suggestions? Phil replies:Recent years have seen an increase in interest both in purchasing and in rearing local queens. I consider this a healthy development. When I want to buy queens, as I do from time to time, I much prefer to visit a nearby beekeeper withwhose reputation and beekeeping skills I'm familiar. In addition to making it possible to know the source and see the conditions under which a queen is raised, buying locally eliminates concerns about importing pests or bees with Africanized traits into regions where they have not yet penetrated.
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