Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ocba - Re: [ocba] Small cell bees

ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Randall Austin <ra41717 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Kathy Buck <solidago9 AT icloud.com>, ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Small cell bees
  • Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2016 21:48:47 -0400

Kathy,

That is an interesting idea from about 10 years ago, purportedly for varroa mite control, that has been thoroughly discredited by rigorous academic studies. Not only does it not really work for varroa mite management, but the practice ends up killing lots of colonies before you find a few that will tolerate the small cell sizes. There are people who didn't get the memo and still promote it.

FYI, the fundamental concept is based on the notion that cell sizes in commercially-produced worker foundation (5.2 mm) are artificially large, so small cells (4.9 mm) are "natural". That premise is simply not true, as anyone who has done many cut-outs can attest. Natural worker cell sizes in non-Africanized bees are right around 5.2 mm, plus or minus; that's why that size was chosen by A.I. Root and others for foundation 130+ years ago. African/Africanized bee worker cells are around 4.8/4.9 mm. I suspect that people who are successful in "regressing" their apiaries to be on small cell size foundation are probably unknowingly forcing selection for Africanized genes.

Let me know if you would like to discuss further.

Randall Austin

On 9/27/2016 9:12 PM, Kathy Buck wrote:
I have been reading about reducing the size of bees by using small cell
foundation does anyone have experience with doing this?


Sent from my iPad
_________________________________________
ocba mailing list | North Carolina Beekeeping| http://www.theocba.org/
Manage Your Subscription: http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/ocba/






Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page