James Fischer wrote:
But the line above REALLY confuses me.  How is
cell size going to have any impact on small hive beetles?

Are you saying that a larger bee population will be able to
control SHB, and assuming that a "more healthy hive"
results
in a larger total population?  If so, why has no one in SHB
infested areas reported that their strongest hives have
been
able to resist SHB?

Reply:
A strong hive on big comb is not necessarily a larger total
population that is also more healthy.

In the beginning, the honeybee colony is in perfect health
without diseases, pests and parasites, with final stage the
scavengers (beetles here) coming in for the cleanup on the
kill.

Then through the combination of placement on improper sized
brood combs for localized gergraphic regions, and improper
nutritional needs over extended periods of time, the colony
develops the loss of this healthy condition. (here mongrel
complex matings come into play also worsening and speeding
up the collapse).  Stress factors weaken the honeybee's
natural defense system inherent within the hive.

Here besides improper cell size giving way to improper diet
and improper outbreeding, beekeepers also compound the
problem with improper sequencing of combs stressing
colonies further creating severe stress upon division of
labor which enhances disease and pest and parasite problems
and the circle is compounded and worsened.

So yes, placement back onto small natural cell size within
the spectrum of natural sizing mostly 4.7mm to 4.9mm top
tolerance here for gaining variability on the lower end
will help to regain balance for a healthy diet, with better
outmating/breeding and yes, more bees for better division
of labor and force enough to keep problems under control.

You must remember that mites and diseases are not the
problem, nor the advanced stages with scavengers (beetles).
They are merely the advanced stages of an artificially
caused problem, all going back to bigger is better ideas
that have wrecked havoc with our honeybees.

The stress resulting from generally accepted beekeeping
practices of artificial enlarged combs to extreme,
artificial nutrition, and chemicals of various treatments
and dopes repeated over many years, is the real killer of
domesticated colonies, especially when sequenced improperly
not matching the feral. Placement back onto proper sized
small cell size and proper sequencing (to fine tune the
last stress conditions as much as possible) helps to
reverse this and bring the colony back into balance,
clearing up problems.

But it is not a snap your finger thing. It's takes time and
regression to go back. But once accomplished, you end up
with happy healthy bees with pests and parasites and
scavengers not bothering them and accompanying secondary
diseases which then drop to 1-2% for all combined.

ONe last thing. As far as I know beetles like mites have
been associated with beehives all over for years. So look
forward to more types getting involved as things worsen
getting more out of tune with added dopings!

Sincerely,

Dee A.Lusby



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