Well, I might as well toss in my $0.02 also. I was at one of Dr.
Harbo's talks on SMR 2 or 3 years back and he took the time to point
out some of the differences between SMR bees and "regular" bees. It was
more than just bees removing infested larvae. The mites themselves
exhibited different behavior under the cell caps. One example that
comes to mind is that mites reportedly have a specific site where they
defecate and mate. Dr. Harbo pointed out that SMR mites actually
defecate in a different area of the cell than do non-SMR bees.

I realize much of this "verbal fencing" is being done in fun, but still
can't we try to strive for a bit more accuracy in our statements?  Is
it that important to "win" the debate? From what I've seen on these
discussion groups (and not just BeeL) is that having to be *right*
sometimes seems to take precedence over being *accurate*.

Regards,
Dick Allen

-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and  other info ---