Allen Dick wrote:

> ..............
> FWIW, the conclusion I reached with this whole matter as a result of my study is
> that *maybe* there is a baby in the bathwater, but if there is, the explanation
> is very probably not the one which is given by Lusbys, although there may be
> some truth in some of their hypotheses.
>
> IMO, natural cell size has not changed over 100 years in the bees that are used
> in Europe and North America.  In some cases, the bee genotype has been changed
> by importation and migration and selection, and we all know that different bees
> use different cell size.
>
> We also know that different people vary in their reading and reasoning skills.
> To me that explains the controversy.  As for the effects of cell size on both
> the bees and varroa, it is obvious to me that proper controlled observations or
> experiments have not been made.  We have a collection of anecdotal evidence.
>
> That is usually the basis for the beginning of an investigation, not the basis
> for drawing conclusions.
>
> allen
>

Sir, I am in perfect agreement with you on this subject.
 - I am not in a position to initiate research projects, and I do not understand why
others have not. These opinions are my own, and do not reflect the views or policies
of the USDA.

  - John Edwards
Tucson, Arizona