Hi Bill and Everyone,

>(where are you now Dennis?)

Since you asked :>)))

My beekeeping has become very low key and that's quite a change for this
once very intensive beekeeper. And my attention to the lists has also
greatly decreased. I get back to BeeL about once every month or so. So it's
easy to miss some posts. Sorry!

My small cell hives continue to perform as previously posted. They haven't
required any treatments, etc. The few hives I've lost has been due to queen
failures and not mites or disease (don't have any SHB's yet).

Mites, mite treatments, mite research, bee breeding for mite tolerance, and
any other mite related stuff no longer has any relevance to my beekeeping.
So I don't spend any time on it. I will occasionally look at some of the
oxalic posts, as I have a web page describing a homebuilt oxalic evaporator.
I believe that the proper use of oxalic will allow beekeepers to get the
pesticides out of the broodnest which is a very important factor affecting
bee health.

And I found that a natural broodnest structure and function is based on much
more than just cell size. Cell size is important, but it's not the only
factor and when put in its proper place will eliminate much of the very
unique stuff associated with small cell beekeeping. I believe small cell
beekeeping is based on an erroneous assumption. But the importance of cell
size/broodnest function isn't.

The result, for me, is hives that easily produce at least twice the amount
of honey/hive average for this area. Easily overwinter without loss. Build
up fast in the spring. With a couple of spring manipulations, my hives
thrive with little or no intervention after that. I can work them or not, at
my pleasure, without affecting their health or honey production. My
beekeeping has become exceedly simple.

I've posted my results here and hope that my experience has benefited
others. Since I don't have an agenda, I'm not recruiting followers, I don't
subscribe to any conspiracy theories, I'm not defending the defamed, nor am
I forming any beekeeping religion; I just haven't seen much need to add to
what I have already posted concerning alternative treatments. :>))) The info
is out there and anyone who wants to, can read it.

It's unfortunate that historical posts are often lost to newer subscribers
of a list. I do have a website http://bwrangler.madpage.com

It doesn't contain all of the numerical results that I've posted here, but
does summarize the observations and results. Not many people on the web get
beyond the pictures and read the text, let alone the numbers. :>)))

It's maintained on a free web server. I've had to switch web servers in the
past, as problems often develop with them. Googling bwrangler will get a
current website address if, or when problems develop with madpage and that
address is lost.

With mites being a non-issue, I've got lots of time/energy and bees/honey to
 focus on other beekeeping matters.

Top bar hives, a spinoff of the small cell experimenting I've done, is one
of these areas. They have some unique advantages that aren't available with
standard equipment. And I've experienced the same mite tolerant results,
with bees in a top bar hive, as with small cell, as long as the broodnest
structure is left intact.

And I'm even experimenting with making mead.

Regards
Dennis
Thinking that a hungry man's focus is on food. But he won't spend much time
or energy on the matter when satisfied.

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