It is a great idea to buy local or regionally-produced queens that have been selected over many generations for their ability to survive and produce honey well in their particular area. However it is more important to purchase queens from a reputable queen producer, whether they are local or not. Dr. Farrar (1968, ABJ, vol 108) said, “Poorly reared queens of productive stock will be inferior to well-reared queens of less productive stock.” Honey bees do well in many different climate zones, and how well a colony survives in a given region often depends more on solid beekeeping practices than on the stock of bees. - Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota

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