Dee Lusby wrote:

>These bees, being kept in box hives for centuries,
>can hardly said to be affected by manufactured comb
>foundation.
>
>Reply:
>If put upon foundation they build the size put in for the
>most part, and those in boxes were not there for centuries,
>while those in other containers were.

I didn't say the boxes were there for centuries.  I said bees were kept in
Central America for centuries and were unaffected by foundation, which poor
beekeepers do not have, even to this day. I have seen hives like these in
Chile and they don't even have frames. Therefore, these bees make their
natural cell size. The transition from large to small cell was documented in
these regions and signaled the onset of Africanization, as it would anywhere.

pb

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---