A good post, Bob.

> Does a single person on the list doubt after all these years she does not 
> believe in small cell?

That is maybe the *only* thing we do not doubt, at least not much.  After 
all, this is the Doubters' List, not the Believers' List, but we have had 
far more evidence of this one thing that we ever dreamed existed.

> Very little of published beekeeping research has the high degree of 
> creditability I would like to see. The kind of research I like to see is 
> like the last two I referred to. Not because I posted but clear examples 
> of what I am referring to.
>
> Burnside ( 1933 & 1945)
> repeated & confirmed
> Bailey ( 1963)
> or
> Barker (1973)
> repeated & confirmed
> Gergory (2006)

Repeated and confirmed is the clincher.

At risk of being a pain, however, let me point out that abstracts and 
summaries only give a hint of what really was done and observed, and how. 
The devil is in the details, and although the headlines scream, "HFCS proven 
inferior to Sucrose Syrup", those who read on, may learn that HFCS may not 
be as good in some situations, but in others, it might just be what is 1.) 
nearby, 2.) what the beekeeper can afford, 3.) get delivered. and 4.) good 
enough to get the bees through a dearth--and therefore, a life saver for 
both the bees and beekeeper.

> Dr. Keith Delaplane said at a presentation at the KHPA meeting (2006) that 
> he has ran bee experiments (with controls) and then a year later ran 
> exactly the same experiment and got different results. The reason he likes 
> to see the results repeatable before placing stock in the results as more 
> than an hypothesis.

You can say that again.

Some things can vary with the circumstances.  For example, pollen 
supplementation experiments are really hard to nail down, since the 
nurtitional history of a colony as far back as six months can influence the 
results.

> However in the end both sides will have put out their views and the list 
> will form an opinion on the subject. No winners  or losers.

Discussion stimulates thought.

> Many beekeepers ARE now using or converting to small cell.
> Dave Mendez (Florida 4000 hives)
> Dave said  5.1 mm. this year and 4.9mm next year.( direct communication
> 2007)

Florida is an AHB zone, now, I hear.

Still waiting to hear confirmation on that "quote" we discussed earlier. 

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