Dave Cushman wrote:
> The AMM is a different bodily structure to the Italian bee and builds 
> a cell that is larger in average size by a factor of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. 
> The Carnica has a natural cell size that is between the two, but on 
> the larger side of centrally between the two.
>
> That situation is different in UK as much of the mongrel background of 
> today contains a high proportion of the larger bodied AMM genes and 
> has done throughout the period.
What has bothered me about the small cell discussion and most other 
"breakthroughs" is the lack of controls.Too many variables are dismissed 
and all is attributed to one factor.

Jim's comment on regression to the mean is interesting when applied to 
small cell discussion and coupled with Dave's post, paints an 
interesting picture. Genetically big bees need larger cells. It seems 
more likely that cell size changed because of the race of bee rather 
than an attempt to build a bigger bee.

Small bees in large cells will not get larger just because of the cell 
size. They will regress to the mean, even if you start with abnormally 
large or small bees.

Within a group, you can and will get larger bees and smaller bees 
depending not on cell size but environmental factors. No matter how big 
you build a house, its occupants will regress to the mean. Feed them the 
unnatural diet of a pro football player and they will get bigger, but 
their children, if fed a normal diet will regress to the mean. Bees are 
the same. Bees vary in size between races. There is not a universal 
natural size that all bees regress to, but each race has its own mean.

Dennis Murrell's work showed that small cell had little bearing on the 
size of the bees and that size was more related to season than cell 
size. He also showed that bees tend to build a range of brood cell sizes.

My own experience with 5.0 cell size in Maine has not led to a decrease 
in Varroa or healthier bees. When I could not care for them because of 
cancer, they failed. The ones on 5.0 actually did worse than those on 
larger cells when neglected.

I keep getting back to race being the dominate factor in Varroa 
tolerance. There may even be factors withing specific races, but that 
would be of much lesser importance.

Some recent research on human cancers indicate that specific cancers 
have higher fatality rates in different races. You can be of one race 
and the same cancer will be slow glowing while those of another race see 
it spread quickly.

So is race actually the issue?

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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