Hi Bill,

> >>But, according to the proponents of small cell beekeeping,
> >>it is 4.9 or bust.
>
> > This is not true, this is your assumption.
>
> Dee said that on a recent post. Tried 5.0 and it did not work.
>

Sorry to have to string so many quotes together but I hope it will help to defuse a typical trend that some exponents of small cell beekeeping have.

Dee is only one proponent of small cell beekeeping (SCB) and 5.0 did not work for her with her bees race and the region her bees are in.

I am a proponent of SCB even though I try not to advocate that everyone must to it. It was an assumption that proponents of SCB all think exactly alike. It may be true that 5.0 did not work for Dee but this is not the case for other proponents of SCB. There is a whole range of proponents of small cell or natural cell beekeepers from those that use naturally drawn combs that are as little as 4.7mm and bigger to those that use comb based on 4.9mm foundation. 4.9mm is not the only small cell size that proponents of SCB use. Bob Harrison, in my opinion is a SCB, as he himself admits to using a much smaller brood cell than the typical 5.4mm that many exponents of SCB use. I think even Dee is not stuck on 4.9mm., she refers to the foundation she makes, that have the bottom of the cell imprinted without the sidewall beginnings as most foundation has, as 4.9mm top tolerance. This means that while using this home made foundation as the bees are regressing they, the bees, can choose to go slightly larger or slightly smaller depending on race or region. All the cells in a SCB'ers hives are not just one particular size but a range of cell sizes just like in nature. She explains in keeping bees on a natural system that the beekeeper should follow the bees needs by observation and make adjustments according to what they need. Heck, who am I to argue with a bee who knows more about beekeeping than I or anyone else.

It appears to me that some, not all, exponents of SCB are trying to put SCB in one tiny box and really it is not one tiny box at all but a whole range of box types. Small cell beekeepers, in a sense, are keeping bees outside the box of that most other beekeepers are keeping their bees in. You know, like a person standing outside the box so they can be progressive. SCB is being proactive instead of reactive.

These are my opinions, please do not slice me apart if you do not understand. c]:~)>

 . ..   Keith Malone, Chugiak, Alaska USA, http://www.cer.org/,
c(((([ , Apiarian, http://takeoff.to/alaskahoney/,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akbeekeepers/ ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Norlandbeekeepers/ ,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ApiarianBreedersGuild/

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