Hi all on BEE-l

Barry Sergeant wrote:
We are well aware of the gigantic debate raging over cell
size of
Eurobees, and the school of thought that believes 4.9mm is
optimal.
However, our upsized scuts are not promoted to breeder
status
unless they are superior in every respect to all their
predecessors.
We
do not treat them with any drugs, chemicals or mechanical
devices
(such as screened bottoms) whatsoever. These bees totally
marginalise pests and diseases, and live with EB,
chalkbrood, varroa
destructor, small hive beetles, other beetles,
pseudoscorpions, and
braula. They easily deal with ants, flies, and so on.

Reply:
This is very commendable Barry to be able to do this. I
could not want to do any better myself. It seems our only
difference then is on sizing, as I prefer 4.9mm top
tolerance sizing for control of parasitic mites and
accompanying secondary diseases without the usage of
various chemicals, drugs, essential oils and acids. By the
way our bees easily deal with other insects also such as
ants, flies, various beetles, polistes (wasps), bumble
bees, mantis's, lizzards, etc also found dead in front of
colonies at certain times of the year. As long as we both
are clean with usage of various dopes and the bees then can
take of themselves, then who could ask for more.

I like your thoughts on Monticola stock. It will be a great
asset to your bees and performance. Erik Osterlund in
Sweden uses Monticola and likes the stock very well. We (my
husband Ed and I) like small black bees found high in the
hills of S. Arizona and after grafting selected colonies,
hand cull in an incubator to that only, for virgin queen
introduction into our colonies.

Again, it seems our diferences are in size only from
reading this and that is good. Running clean for combs in
the future, is the future for continued beekeeping. For it
means the production of good viable queens where so much
has played out due to usage of fluvalinate & coumaphos.

Again Barry, you are to be commended on the breeding you
are doing with your bees.

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby



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