Pav wrote: > Small-cell on the other hand, has NOT been PROVEN by science, therefore it can't be > genuine. It is not that 4.9 is not genuine. It may be which is why there are several on this list testing it. Science looks for reproducibility. Just because it works for you it may not work for another, mainly because of all the uncontrolled variables involved. It might not be what you are testing that produces the results, but some other factor. Another beekeeper may not have that as a beekeeping practice, so fails. And that has happened with several of the supposedly tested varroa controls posted on this list. They were not reproducible by others. Personally, I think small cell size has merit. I have spoken about the "Hive that would not die", a colony on Dadant 900 foundation (I believe it is about 5.0) that has survived under the care of the beekeeper I gave it to while he continually loses most of his other hives. Since the colony has probably requeened itself several times in the past several years, either SMR is being passed on or it is the foundation. When I shifted to the smaller foundation I did have less overall problems with the health of my bees and did not lose a hive over winter. I added plastic foundation with its larger cell size (in a trial of three different types- I was the editor of our State newsletter), and started losing colonies over winter. Because of all the other variables involved- including Apistan resistance- I cannot say it is the foundation, but I have removed all the larger cell size foundation and my bees are doing great. But, all the other beekeepers in my area have given up, so the isolation from varroa from robbing gives another variable. The key in all this is not that science has to prove it for you to try it. We try new things all the time. It is the insistance that it works when there are only one or two data points that raises warning flags. And that is only prudent and has nothing to do with science. We want to believe, but need to verify. Looking forward to hearing how Barry and others do with their trials. Bill Truesdell Bath, ME