> From:    "=?ISO-8859-1?Q?D._Murrell?=" <[log in to unmask]>

> I suspect that different bees draw out different minimum cell size. Do you
> run a variety of the dark northern bee? It could be very different than the
> more southern type bees we run in the US.   

Hi Dennis,

My bees were deliberately a mix of many races some years ago when I 
started this closed population breeding program I'm running. Also 
mixed in "Elgon" bees, I still see some sooty dark drones from 
Monticola. Not much (if any) left of the old Scandinavian bee in my 
mix as they didn't perform well. Mostly Buckfast left, selected to do 
well in my short intense season on lat 60.
> 
> Do you still run a tbh? If so, do you see the decrease in cell size down the
> length of the comb? What are the minimum cell sizes seen in the natural
> brood comb?

Never tried tbh. Not enough time for testing everything... Guess I 
could try some frames with starter strips? After 3 frames with drones 
they might do some worker brood too in spring...

> Eric Osterlund, in Sweden, has experienced success with a traditional small
> cell approach. 

Erik is lucky to live in an area where Varroa arrived very late. I 
doubt he has had mites long enough to experience the problem that 
comes with the increased virus load after the first years of 
relatively harmless mite infestation. Time will show.

-- 
Regards

P-O Gustafsson, Sweden
http://beeman.se

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