Hi all

Dennis wrote:
> With small cell wax foundation the bees behavior is
everything. Frame placement, timing, frame manipulation and
the bees needs are critical even in hives that contain the
smaller bees. Anything perceived by the bees as outside the
needs of the broodnest won't bee drawn to the small
dimensions.

Reply:
This is true! What we are basicly doing by regressing
honeybees back onto a Natural system is to give control
back to the bees for keeping the inside of the "Man
Domesticated Environment of the Hive Interior" in proper
balance. It is a belief that we have followed for years, as
I believe in the basic principles associated with Yin/Yang
phil in working our honeybees.

Having honeybees placed onto a natural system again means
that you work the bees to be in harmony with a natural
system. Comb building is therefore timed to suit the bees
and not man. Comb building is to follow the bees, not man!

Dennis also wrote:
> Forget drawing the small cell during a major honey flow.
The bees only build the larger cells then.

Reply:
Yes and No! For the most part I would not suggest any
beekeeper new to regression of honeybees back to natural
comb sizing to try drawing the foundation on a major honey
flow.It simply will not work as there are limiting factors
involved.

However, once your bees are acclimitized and fully
regressed then the situation changes as you work your
colonies back up to mega-size colonies for production.

We ourselves are now drawing 4.9mm foundation in our 4 & 5
deep supers. However it does take applying certain
principles and working within the harmonious relationship
re-established within ones colonies, and also having
knowledge of structure of wild feral colonies and how they
naturally build combs.

I imagine that this will be a new philosophy for our
industry to learn and associate with.


Frank wrote back to Dennis:
I am a bit confused by this.  I understand that a central
belief amongst 4.9ers is that allowing bees to draw what is
believed to be natural sized comb is the secret to keeping
them healthy.  Why then all this work to get them to do
what it seems they do not wish to do?

Reply:
But they do wish to do it and observation will show this.
However with close observation comes understanding and then
applying what one is seeing, which means changing colony
management practices as to how combs are drawn out and
managed (positioned/culled) in field working methodology.

Timed properly to fit the bees needs, drawing 4.9mm
foundation is not a hard thing to do. It just takes time
and patience and relearning how to work with the bees'
needs and not against them for control of parasitic mites
and accompanying secondary diseases.

Frank then inquired:
Also, I wonder whether somebody experienced with comb in
feral bees can comment on whether they build a different
size of cell in the broodnest area than they do elsewhere?

Reply:
NO! And perhaps with industry for over 100 years this is
the biggest point in misunderstanding the internal workings
of drawing foundation and comb within a domestic man
managed colony of honeybees. Bees given the preference and
proper placement of foundation/combs only draw drone/honey
and worker/pollen/honey combs. Also the vast majority of
combs in the wild is worker comb or the smaller size.

It's just understanding this, and how to use the combs to
match the wild side, and work bees on a harmonious system
that naturally controls parasitic mites and secondary
diseases, that is virtually untaught in our beekeeping
industry worldwide.

Namely the methodology of the different drawing times of
the two major comb sizes, and then how to work/manage them
for production, which is really not hard.

Man has gone bigger for so long, how many beekeepers can
honestly say they have see a hive properly managed with
natural stores of pollen, honey, propolis and comb, to
match the wild side in harmonious balance for control of
parasitic mites, sedondary diseases, breeding, crop, etc.

Now right here I wish to say I have let the various
discussion groups know that plastic 4.9mm is now a reality
and some of it has been forwarded to a few industry
beekeepers for trials. So far the results have been more
then what could have been hoped for.

The major future breaking news will be coming out of
Florida with Michael Housel and his study, which has
recently expanded and is going more then even I could have
been hoped for. Because of what discovery Michael Housel
has accomplished in such short of time, I am trying to get
clearance to help him expand further, the broadness of his
personal study for the benefit of industry, and greater
volume of plastic foundation with which to continue working
on the new field management methodology relative to
honeybees.

Because of what Mr Housel has already discovered, we are
already fine tuning our colonies here in Arizona, to help
him varify what he is seeing along with a few other select
beekeepers, and I am sure his paper when written will be
well received by many.

REgards,

Dee A. Lusby

Regards,

Dee A. Lusby

REgards









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