>
> >This is perhaps too vague but are there any general guidelines to
> successful applied honey bee research?


I hope that Jerry weighs in here!


> > Minimum number of hives per treatment


In general, minimum of 12 colonies per treatment group.

>genetic makeup of the hives


Depends upon the homogeneity of the stock from which you are drawing
colonies.  Sister queens may limit variability to some extent, but then you
must question relevance of results to the bee population as a whole.

>equalizing hives before treatment,

Select healthy hives, best at same stage of growth curve, with same aged
queens, in same yard, exhibiting similar stage of growth, amount of brood,
and honey production.  I sometimes swap frames around to attempt to
equalize pathogens and symbionts.

> proper controls

Same as above.

>minimum amount of experience with beekeeping

Do you mean years of keeping bees, or years in which you actually learned
something?

>What pet peeves do you all have when it comes to the various research
projects you run across?

Too numerous to list...

 >What makes you throw up your hands in disgust as opposed to pricking up
your ears?

Colonies not maintained in a manner that is applicable to real world.

 > A lot of times corners are cut to save money but in the end money is not
saved as the results are inconclusive.

That does not appear to prevent a number of researchers from embellishing
inconclusive results so as to get something published.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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