--- Bill Truesdell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Question- So what happened to all the feral bees?
> Did they not get the word on how to make small cell?

Good Question!  In my location,,, My personal opinion
is that most of the bees folks call ferals have too
much domestic influence of large cell type to be
considered feral as I define them to be.  The practice
of beekeepers shipping in bees year after year that
are not acclimatized to the area has played havoc on
any natural adaptation that that may be trying to
occur.  So even during pre varrroa times, the breeding
pool of smaller celled ferals was being diluted year
after year by the constant influx of non acclimatized
large cell types.

The artificial propping up of these domestic bees by
use of treatments only served to magnify the influence
of non acclimatized, treatment dependent genetics in
my area.  Also had the effect of influencing
acclimated feral cell sizes larger and disrupting
natural adaptation making some of the ferals unfit to
survive in this climate.

IMO, the percentage of "feral" bees with minimal
domestic influence may have numbered below 25% of the
total "feral" population before the collapse.  The
official estimate is that the feral population has be
decimated by 90%.   During the great crashes here in
PA during 95-96, my swarm calls/bee removal calls went
from 40 or more per season to 1 or 2 for several
years.  Now, 'same as any other bee disease', small
cell DOES NOT make them immune to mites, there is a
certain about of weeding out of the genetically unfit
as would be any other disease. But in the time of the
immediate recovery (late 90's into early 00's) every
bee removal that I did was smaller type bees.  The
small cell ferals were hit, but were the first to
recover in the wild.

...But Joe has had to select from the
> survivors.

Survivors by 'my definition', are bees survived
several years with varroa in beeyards from lines
purchased from the commercial breeders.  I have NONE
of these that I know of, because I choose the feral
line, I killed off every queen suspected of being
domestic regardless of performance several years ago.

> ...there are three aspects to small cell
> beekeeping.... none of which mention
small cells.

If I am correct, the 3/3's are:

environment is 1/3,
diet is 1/3,
and breeding is 1/3.

Environment would include small cell size to fit the
local climate.  The 3/3's interplay here,,,
Breeding from small cell improves the health of the
bee which enhances nutritional foraging diet and helps
in acclimatizing to local environment.  Which intern
once acclimatized,  improves diet and helps stabilize
them on small cell, which intern as the become more
fit improves diet and breeding,,,,

Joe Waggle ~ Derry, PA
Small Cell Beekeeping
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries'
http://www.biologicalbeekeeping.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/



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