Hello Dee,
Wow what a bunch of claims!  Can you point to research (other than your
words and Barry's web site)with controls backing up your claims so I can
research for myself?  In particular the claim of zero varroa reproduction in
the 4.9mm cell size as all documented research says varroa can and does
reproduce in the 4.9mm cell size. My friends in South Africa with Scuts
using a even smaller cell size than 4.9mm (Barry Seargent on this list)
report varroa easily reproduces in the 4.9mm (and smaller) cell size on A.
mellifera. Maybe Barry S. will comment. I have always been puzzled by your
claims after my friends in South Africa report different observations. I was
inclined to give the 4.9mm cell size the benefit of doubt although I stated
to you by direct email a long time ago I *felt* the cell size would have to
be as small as A. cerana for cell size to be a factor. You countered with
Cerana and mellifera are the same size in certain areas of the world. When I
checked in South Africa and found varroa was reproducing in cell size as
small as 4.5 -4.6mm with mellifera I felt small cell size alone was doomed
to failure. Only my opinion.
Sincerely,
 Bob Harrison
Odessa, Missouri
Missouri the *Show Me State*
Ps. At least with SMR you can go the the Baton Rouge Bee Lab USDA web site
(I posted awhile back) and see the results of tests with controls.