From: Dan Harris <[log in to unmask]>

>I believe that if one looks at the body of evidence from the accumulated
data of the whole, the results are obvious.

Hi Dan,

With respect, one cannot evaluate a body of evidence without first evaluating the body _parts_.  The data is only relevant as far as the procedures and conditions go, and one cannot even consider the data without first examining what was actually done.

You've cited 3 studies in this post, one of which I offered a detailed critique of just a few days ago.  As I've said before, I'm happy to go into the details of any of these studies, but my time is limited, and I can't see doing all that work if it doesn't foster discussion.  If we can start by discussing the Seeley study, then we can move on to the others.


>To deny it, in my opinion, is to embrace an unreasonably high degree of ugly coincidence.

I don't think it's coincidence...I think it's a flaw in the basic understanding of what is being claimed.  No one that has ever claimed small cell success has done so after using anything close to the protocols used in any of the studies.

The researchers that have looked into small cell are doing so because they want to find a way to keep bees without chemicals or treatments.  My wife and I wanted the same thing, so we started talking to beekeepers that were keeping bees without treatments...they were on small cell.  When we wanted to know more, we traveled to Arizona to see what was being discussed.  We eventually (thanks to Mike Palmer) connected with Kirk, who has a whole different model that doesn't include small cell (and no small accomplishment that he has been able to make a profit every year doing so).

I'm not aware of any professional researcher that actually is keeping bees without treatments (productive or not)...to me, it seems common sense to try and replicate what is working, or at least spend some time trying to unravel what factors are at work.  If somebody knows how to do something you want to do, find out what they are doing...and replicate the relevant parts.  This seems common sense, it's what anyone in business (or beekeeping) would do.

deknow

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