--- Keith Benson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> So is that a function of the fact that they are
> different strains, or
> cell size, or both?

They seem lessen the possibility that it is due to
them being different strains by saying:

"African and hybrid colonies did not differ
significantly in population size, the areas of comb
devoted to brood rearing and food storage,
flight activity, pollen foraging activity, or the
distances traveled to pollen and nectar sources.
These nonsignificant differences suggest that the
foraging behavior of the two colony types may
have been more influenced by environmental factors
than by genetically determined dietary or
movement preferences."

Environmental factors I agree could include many
things, but there seems to be high probability that
cell size / bee size may play a major role here.  The
European test group is a 'AHB' hybrid, so they do have
some genetics of the AHB, and yet the AHB foraging
behavior did not seem to carry over into the European
group, further indicating that genetics may not have
much influence here.


Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA
Small Cell Beekeeping
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries'
http://www.biologicalbeekeeping.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/



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