Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> article he mentioned certainly doesn't prove it, nor does it attempt to.

Mr. Borst,
I think it would be better classified as scientific research by John B. 
McMullan and Mark J.F. Brown, at the Department of Zoology, Trinity 
College Dublin, Ireland, which was published October 17, 2006 online at 
Apidologie, rather than magazine type article that seems to be implied by 
yourself.

Borst wrote:
>The authors were trying to see if their bees (Apis mellifera mellifera)
>could be downsized in hope of reducing the varroa infestation. Ironically,
>they were unable to get a reduction in size that corresponded to the
>reduction in cell size. Despite the cells being some 7% smaller, the bees
>were only 1% smaller.

Here, you are attempting to enter misinformation to bolster your position, 
it seems to be a commonly used tactic generally referred to as fabricating 
evidence.  Please, tell the readers where they say anything about varroa?

Also, you are suggesting a failure of the research by assuming that they 
were “unable to get a reduction in size that corresponded to the reduction 
in cell size-(Quote by Borst)” This is another fabrication.

IF you read the abstract, you see that they were wanting to evaluate 
the “resulting changes in honeybee morphometry”, and say NOTHING 
about ‘wanting to get a corresponding reduction in bee size‘ as you so 
boldly claim.

Please, provide the readers with where it implies that the researchers 
were trying “to get a reduction in size that corresponded to the reduction 
in cell size (Qoute by Borst)”?

>The Arizona experiment has been conducted in a semi-tropical climate, with
>bees that are probably African hybrids. They are isolated to such a degree
>that the varroa may be inbred which could significantly reduce their 
vigor.

Here you are assuming many things.  Assumptions are just that assumptions, 
and do not hold up to your own standards of wanting scientific 
information.  

Here in SW PA, I have significantly reduced my varroa in my colonies using 
small cell and am seeing similar success with my bees.

Best Wishes,

Joe Waggle 
Ecologicalbeekeeping.com 
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
Feral Bee Project:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FeralBeeProject/      

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