Hi Barrry, et. al.

> Reducing down involves transition comb
> which is  every size in between large and 4.9mm.

This is one thing I've never understood about reduced cell size.
I'm not dense, I understand the problem of putting 10 pounds of
potatos in a 5 pound sack, but the transitioning thing still eludes me.

In years past (way past to most), a common swarm control
method was shook swarming.  It is still a very effective controlled
swarming technique (and can produce excellent comb honey to boot),
but it's not commonly praticed anymore.  The best description of the
technique  I've ever read is in Richard Taylor's _Comb_Honey_.

Anyway, shook swarming simply involved shaking all the bees out
of an impending swarm hive onto equipment placed on the original
site, that is fitted with foundation only.  Couldn't one simply fit the
new equipment with 4.9 foundation, accomplish the step down and
skip the transition phase?  Or would the bees draw the foundation
similar to the comb pictured at the url you gave?

Better yet, shook swarm onto equipment fitted only with starter
strips of foundation.  Then the bees could build cells of their own
choosing.  Would the giant bees build giant combs?  Is it that the
transitional phase is required, somethhing like binding feet to get
them to fit into tiny shoes?  Must we bind our bees to get them to
fit into tiny cells?

As I've been writing this, others have offered similar thoughts.  The
whole thought process brings me back to a question I asked the last
time this issue was discussed, to which I never received an answer.
My question is, if indeed a smaller cell size makes for varroa tolerance
what is it about a smaller cell size that impacts the varroa populations?
Is it because there simply isn't enough room for the mites to be successful?
Is it something else (varroa moves to the suburbs where there's wide
open spaces)?  What is it?

And frankly, I don't really care what it is that makes it work, I just want
to know it works.  Emperically.  I must confess I am not asking the same
questions about Harbo's SMR bees.  I've followed his research from the
days when he discovered bee populations in which V. mites do not
reproduce (was that 8 years ago?), and got more excited when he
discovered that the trait was heritable across generations (3 or 4 years
ago?), and accepted his findings presented at ABF in San Diego in January.
I hope he has found a possible solution (or at least positive results) in
the Varroa battle.  I think the jury is still out on SMR bees.  The next
step is in progress, will distribution efforts to get the genes out there
in the "wild gene pool".  Whether SMR is the answer is still a year or
two away.

As is small cell size.  I acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of those
who are investigating.  Thanks Barry for your update.

Aaron Morris - thinking SMR on 4.9 should kick Varroa ass!