Yes.  What we need is a metric that factors in all the local environmental
variables so that we can predict and prescribe what specific husbandry we
need for our local environments.  That is ambitious and "pie-in-the-sky"
science, but that kind of a challenge is the juice that keeps us scientists
going.

CONTEXT includes pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, local nutrition, length
of season, types of flora, how much forage, and ????  Let's make a list and
get cracking.



Your correct,  that's the way it would have to be handled to be right.  It's
a standard technique with things that are quantifiable and measurable.
Appling it to bees would be difficult if we wanted to  address all the
issues you mention.

In the case we are discussing,  what triggers me,  is they made no attempt.
That to me is a huge clue,  they actually know very little about bees and
how climate and fauna and age of the hive (cohorts of bees) factors into
this.

For example a hive that's swarmed may have a cohort of bees that are great
for raising brood,  but the wrong age for foragers. I see this a lot making
nucs.  Bees of the wrong age will hinder  or stop growth at the time you
need it.  How would one account for that in starting out?

people mention "equalizing" from time to time.  Understanding what Their
saying,  but 2 hives with the same number of bees are not necessarily the
same.  When you make a walk away split,  all the forager return to the base
location (or get lost)  but  you then have a hive with heavy young bees, and
one heavy with old bees.   They will not look the same in 6 weeks. One will
be nectar heavy, the other light. Much more complicated than most
understand.


The thing that bugs me when we see so much math thrown at the problem,  is
the underlying basics are missed completely.  That seems to be the case in
this paper,  and adding in "correction factors" as a standard will probably
make the current situation even worse.  Who cold judge if the correction
factor was valid to start with??  It would probably allow for even more
deceptive practices.



I agree its possible,  very complicated and subjective on living creatures.
The reason I mentioned it was lack of any attempt shows a ignorance of basic
complexity of the issue.  Seems to me most researchers see "a bee"  and not
understanding at all the age and condition of that bee is extremely relevant
to the health of that hive.

Had to ponder this,  as much as I would love to see us work on real
beekeeping standards the concept would help,  but it's a tricky climb!

Charles

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