Bill Truesdell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Another great find. 

Yes, I loved the presentation!  
Great work by Jennifer!

I agree with the results, I’ve seen tremendous increase in mite 
populations in the ‘early stages’ of small cell use, and can explain my 
theories here, and first hand experiences with this “phenomenon of small 
cell” some other time.

I was disappointed in a single factor of the presentation that there was 
not an expression of curiosity concerning why the mite populations were so 
high in the small cell colonies,  questions unanswered should cause a 
great curiosity.     

The most interesting point I came away with is that the small cell 
beekeeper she worked with
>who has few problems with his bees is a Joe W. type of beekeeper and 
captures feral colonies. 

Yes, Bill Owens collecting of feral bees is perhaps a major key to his 
success.  My biggest competitor as of this date, seems to be the resurging 
ferals in my area, which  perhaps have adopted a few traits of extreme 
competitiveness in robbing behavior.  I have been rather unaffected due to 
my colonies being well enough to defend properly, but I do see a 
continuance of testing, as well as weak and smaller colonies being 
obliterated very quickly by feral robbing,,, things are rapidly changing 
on this aspect.  OR, perhaps it has been so long since we had abundant 
feral population here in my area, I’ve forgotten what its like.  Perhaps 
you right, the long lost art of good breeding deserves to be revived.  

Best Wishes,
Joe

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