[barry42001]

I was thinking about the regression of the 5.1 mm bees back to the original version 4.9 mm. The Books say bees will naturally construct the 4.9 cell, with no help such as foundation, there is 4.9 mm foundation available. If the bees are 5.1 and construct naturally 4.9 how can they possible reach the larvae and eggs to clean and feed them. Understand after a few generations or so the 4.9 bees will preveil, until then how will the hive function? I am looking for a totally natural mite control system. and the smaller bees seem to occupy more of the cell during pupation, too little space left for the mites, also noted a slightly shorter pupation cycle So how much shorter the 21 days is the 4.9 bees life cycle--the reading doesn't indicate. 4.9 bees are alsdo alledgedly better housekeepers then their larger sisters, apparently better able to grab the mites. How does this affect the disposition of the bees will they revert to a more aggressive demeanor.
Barry

 

[Iddee]

#1... Bees drawing natural comb will not draw any single size comb. It will vary greatly.

#2... Jennifer Berry did trials on small cell and found that the small cell did not reduce the mite numbers.

#3... The bees don't read the books, and the writers don't have to prove they are right. They just write what sells.

 

[barry42001]

Appreciate you responding, and understand what your saying. If things are as stated, then the industry is investing alot of money manufacturing a load of product to guilible beekeepers( perhaps like myself.) I am still on the fence-tend to be in the fact finding stages here no firm descion made but I don't want contaminates inside the colony to decontaminate them from mites. As I have stated often I am relatively new to the new beekeeping problems--varroa was still relatively new, tracheal mites were the true villians of the time so I am very much trying to figure out the best technique.
Barry

 

[Hobie]

My newly acquired hive (semi-feral, living in abandoned hive box) are quite small, and very gentle. For what it's worth. They had nothing but natural comb.

 

[Iddee]

>>>>manufacturing a load of product to guilible beekeepers<<<<

Wanna buy a pet rock? Then you can pay me again and send it back for me to bury in my pet rock cemetary....

Many bottles of snake oil are sold daily. In my opinion, the only good treatment for varroa is to let the susceptible bees die and breed from the survivors.

 

[barry42001]

Actually I gave up on pet rocks when I was about 9 years old. But there but be some science behind the smaller bees concept. Anyone know when the bekeeping industry decided to make the larger bees by manufacturing the larger cell foundation? How long after the " new and improved bee", did varroa, and traceal mites start making inroads. Is there a correlation??? Do you know. I don't. Mother nature did not see fit to change the honeybees design for hundreds of thousands of years "we" decided to do it within a few decades. Of course those best able to adapt to a otherwise hostile enviroment will be the ultimate survivor. I used to keep snakes prior to bees, about 20 years no snake oil here--prefer reasoned logic, and proof of the science not wishful thinking. The modern honeybee of today was NOT a matter of natural selection--was of " OUR " design. should we expect it to perform in a enviroment not designed for it better the one that mother nature designed for the originals think not enough ramblings.
Barry

 

[Iddee]

The design of the foundation before small cell has been around 75 to 100 years. The varroa and tracheal mite came around 1987, depending on where you lived. It was designed as a one size fits all to be able to mass produce it. Bees don't make all the same size cells naturally, so it couldn't be produced to duplicate a varying design.

4.9 is no more the natural size than 5.6. It is just another idea someone had and the results seemed to them to help. If you want natural, you will have to go to starter strips and let them draw out the different sizes as they see fit.

I, too, kept snakes. Raising 1000 mice and 300 rats weekly just got to be too much hassle, so I got out of it.