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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
"D. Murrell" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:19:39 -0500
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Hi Guys,

>As Bob said, for scientific recognition, results need to be replicated...
Those of us who have worked in lab...

I've worked in labs and been involved with research and develop as well. And
I initially started my untreated yard with this focus. But decided not to
invest the time or money, for evidence, adequate for my beekeeping needs,
could be generated without the hassle.

>Moreover, in regard to your claims, I am not at all convinced of several 
things.  One is that you designed and carried out experiments which 
adequately isolated and tested specific claims and assumptions....

My little experiments adequately tested them out as I got the evidence I
needed. My evidence box holds more than just the scientific method :>) But
then I didn't have any responsibility to test them out for anyone else. I
only shared my results so others, like yourself, would have a place to start
and could do tests suitable for their own needs. And I expected that with
the superior training, etc.  a much better job than I did could be done. And
so that others, not needing a rigorous scientific investigation, could
improve their beekeeping.

So, what kind of real work has anyone else done? Absolutely nothing that I'm
aware. The only work that I know of consists in typing out criticism. And I
think that if a few more had spent as much time investigating cell size as
they have criticizing it, there might be a better understanding of the cell
size issue.

>and the second is that, although my memory is far from perfect, it seems to
me that, at various times, your websites claimed various things that seem to
me to have changed periodically, and now appear to me to have been altered
in hindsight, or deleted.

I have changed the focus and feel of my website through time. Initially, I
used it to release the actual raw data, measurement, etc. And I posted a
summary with observations to the lists.

My site was very dry, hard to read (I'm not a very good writer) and really
boring for most beekeepers. It looked and sounded like a research paper. The
correspondence it generated indicated that few if anyone read it. And I
spent a fair amount of time haggling over this or that almost irrelevant
number with the few who did. While whole concepts/possibilities were obscure
to everyone else.

So, I changed the site's focus from science to beekeeping. I replaced the
data with some summaries. And spent more time on my observations and
speculations. Photos were added. And I frequently tried to make it easier to
read by editing the grammar. But the 'claims' haven't changed. Check your
website archives and see for yourself! And for everyone else so inclined,
check the Bee-L archives and compare. 

>Maybe you could restore old periodic backups to a folder somewhere on your
site so that people could examine your progress?

Sorry! When the focus of my site changed from science to bees, I changed
it's nature as well and discontinued the backups. It's now a living document
that lives in the present. I'll note any changes to eliminate any confusion.
But after a time, those notes are removed. For an example, see my oxalic
evaporator page at:

http://bwrangler.farvista.net/goxa.htm

It will get cleaned up, one of these days and the old 'crack pipe' will be gone.

This has got me into trouble with a few who actually read the site in its
scientific stage and wanted to publish some of the raw data, etc. Sorry,
it's hit the bit bucket. And I only maintain 5 years worth of field notes,
now. So, most of the small cell stuff has hit the bit bucket as well.

I started this stuff in 1996. And since my bees have been in equilibrium
with the small cell comb in the Lang hives and the natural comb in the top
bar hives, they've been healthy and productive without treatments of any
kind. My beekeeping has remained basically the same since then. I haven't
progressed very far :>)

Most of my stuff is 5 to 7 years old. And we've been talking about this
stuff on Bee-L since 1999! Progress might not be the right word. But it
might help to explain the different focus small cell beekeepers have.

Regards
Dennis

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