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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Bill Truesdell <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 1 Nov 2005 11:02:05 -0500
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Dick Marron wrote:

> This strain of
> worker will enlarge their numbers because less eggs will be eaten
> with their genes and they will be more likely to choose the next
> queen which will nudge the gene pool in the direction of small cell.
> It's a somewhat fragile theory but evolution has eternity.

Please refer to all that Dennis has done in this regard, especially his
findings on the actual sizes of bees both on large and small cells.

Dennis' small cell bees are not uniform in size nor are the cells. His
experiments reflect the "natural" state of bees, IMHO, which is they are
not tied to a single size. They accommodate naturally.

Ascribing a genetic change in the bees in essence says that you can go
from a set DNA sequence to a new one in two generations and flip right
back in the same amount of time. And the queen is changing the sequence!

Even selecting for something already in their DNA makeup in two
generations is a bit much. My guess is it is just what Dennis saw. They
will start with what they have but like small cell in the winter and
larger when more food is available. Less food=smaller bee. More
food=larger bee.

That is consistent with what we do see in nature and around our own
midsection.

I think we are trying to go places here that we do not need to go.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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