Joe Waggle writes:
"Abstract - Until the late 1800s honeybees in Britain and
Ireland were raised in brood cells of circa 5.0 mm width.
By the 1920s this had increased to circa 5.5 mm. We
undertook this study to find out if present-day honeybees
could revert to the cell-size of the 1800s..." 

Reply:
I would like to add here in addition that more studies are
being done on smaller size, and some have been for a few
years now out side the USA and it is nice to see them
starting to come to press. 

But BEE-L readers should note here that this is Britian and
Ireland and sizing of this area and sizes do chance from
equator to poles and in areas like the mediterranean and
much of USA just to pick out two other areas, the original
cell sizes noted and written about in archives do go back
to 4.7mm quite a bit.

As for if regression is possible......well, it is now being
down all over and in several different climates be it EU,
or Nordic States, or Asia countries, or S. America besides
those of us in the USA now.......

One would think after a while if even we/I in Arizona can
do it for regression for now over 23 years then to solve
problems of mites and secondary diseases and survive, then
others can also..........

Sooner or later the circle comes round to from which it
started going astray....FWIW!

Respectfully submitted,

Dee A. Lusby
Small Cell Commercial Beekeeper
Moyza, Arizona
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicbeekeepers/

  


 
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