In a message dated 12/10/04 00:57:34 GMT Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

<<It's not a bad test for a direct correlation between cell size  and varroa
reproduction. And the NZ test along with some of the other  research should
end the cell size/varroa reproduction speculation as the  reason for small
cell size mite  tolerance.

Regards
Dennis>>



Not necessarily. It shows that varroa will enter  maller cells as willingly
as larger, but it doesn't show, as far as I'm aware,  that viable adults will
emerge from those cells in the same proportion. If, for  instance, there was
something in the idea that small cell bees emerge earlier  than large, this
would affect varroa reproduction, and wouldn't show up in the  results. I'm not
convinced that this is happening, but it has been claimed, and  should have been
tested for.

    Regards,

    Robert Brenchley

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