Both of the queens we got in our packages last year died.
One was a dud layer and I replaced her with this one. The other one didn't make it through the winter. They both came from the deep south. We won't be doing bees that way again if we can help it.
Here's a pic of the queen in the Tardis hive - red-ish gold and gorgeous. This is a local queen; we got her from Roger Graham of
Graham's Beeworks in Morgantown, Indiana. This is the queen that survived the winter.
This is her laying pattern. Almost solid all over the deep frame. Calm bees. Overwinters well.
I split this hive in May and she threw another great calm queen for the other hive.
This is what we're looking for in queens.
