Hi ajtony
I am afraid I have to disagree with your there. If my queens don't start to lay eggs within 3 weeks I won't consider breeding from them in the future and if they don't lay properly within 5 weeks they are for the chop, like the one in the photo below.
Some of her (half-) sisters started laying after 2 weeks under the same conditions, they will be considered for future breeding. Queens that take a long time to strart laying would not be able to build up a brodnest in time for winter naturally. They can only survive with the interference of the beekeeper. By keeping them and breeding form them we only perpetuate the problem.
Doris
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