Hi Dee and Everyone,

>...what do you have after 4+ years?

Has it been that long? I certainly enjoyed visiting with you and Ed. Much
has changed since then. I am no longer a commercial beekeeper, but keep a
few hives for my own enjoyment.

Now would be a good time to summarize my small cell experience. I found that
once bees are on small cell sized comb:

- they overwinter better
- they build up faster in the spring
- all bee races can tolerate varroa mites without treatment
- I haven't had any problems with trachael mites
- surplus bees have become a problem :>)
- my average honey production has increased

That's a pretty good list isn't it! Lots of factors are involved. Among them
are cell size, clean wax, low mite presence and pesticide free hives. The
difference that these factors make must be seen to be believed. I have
established bees back onto clean, large cell sized comb, in pesticide free
hives and achived all the same results except for the mite tolerance. That's
how important cell size is.

But regressing or getting bees onto small cell size comb has some downsides
as well. First, the bees will only draw out a limited amount of small cell
sized comb from foundation and then only at certain times of the year. In a
northern climate that's less than a month. At these rates, the mites will
overcome a beehive before enough small cell comb can be drawn out without
treating the hive for mites.

The impact of cell size was so dramatic on colony health that I built some
top bar hives to observe broodnest/comb building for myself. What I observed
 has confirmed the importance of cell size on bee health. And equally
important, HOW cell size fits into the broodnest structure and WHY bees have
such trouble drawing out enough small cell sized comb in a standard hive.

It is on these points, the hows and whys, that I respectively disagree with
  the Lusbys. They have focused on the bee itself, while I have focused on
the broodnest structure. This difference in focus results in significant
differences in colony management.

The Lusbys, Barry Birkey and I have all experienced the benefits of keeping
bees on small cell sized comb. We have had productive, pesticide free hives,
that are healthier, overwinter better and can tolerate mites for at least 4+
years! And the Lusbys for much longer than that. But we have all experienced
the downside as well.

I hope my observations show how import cell size and broodnest structure is
to the colony health and function. And that they will act as a spring board
   helping beekeepers to work with their bees.

Best Regards
Dennis

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