Hi Dave,

>>http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/catenary.html

Very interesting.  Curved frames may be a bit hard to make at home...

>>...better hive pest removal at these critical times].
>I do not see...

I am going by Dennis' observations.  I have no reason to doubt them.  The smaller sized cells are at the bottom of the brood nest.  When the honey is stored in the upper, larger cells, the last batches of bees are produced in the smaller cells below.  As I recall, Dennis noted increased, damaged mites on the bottom in the fall.  Brood in smaller cells and mite drop increase may be coincidental if other factors are involved in this increased housekeeping by the bees.  I don't know how but take the observation as true.  The fact that the bees kill more mites is very positive.

>>...more larger bees in the spring as brood rearing expands
>> [may help...a larger harvest...?].
>Again, what equates larger bees with a bigger harvest ??

Again, I repeated what I saw on Dennis' site for a discussion.  A larger bee should have a larger honey holding capacity.  Of course, she may not take as many flights as a smaller bee.  I don't that this has ever been proven or disproven.

Overall, Dennis' observations concur with other phenomena.  Tom Seeley has reported feral bees surviving for several years with mites in the woods of upstate New York.  I've had homeowners call me to remove ferals that have continuosly been in the same locations as long as 3-4 years.  (Yes, I know - what about the possibility new swarms replacing deadouts??)  I have not seen DWS in the ferals that I have removed.  But my untreated ferals hived in standard equipment show DWS in 1-2 years.   My GUESS is 1) the natural comb, 2) the undisturbed nest arrangement, and 3) the associated cell size gradation make the difference in the bees' survival.

Again, these are positive observations and guesses for the explanations.  It would be nice to get some results from statistically significant studies.

>>The strip or bead of wax...http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/cutcombbars.html

I like this method since it lets the bees determine the cell size.

Waldemar

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