Hi all
I reply to Robert Brenchley's post of August 29, 2000 9:30
AM<[log in to unmask]>

The circumstances that Wedmore referred to was in a population of bees that
had already been artificially enlarged so that they would have longer
tongues. There was a widely held opinion that such bees could gather more
honey.

I now believe that smaller bees are more efficient. These are not really
smaller they are just the same size as they were 100 years ago. Thus the
smaller faster bee is capable of gathering more honey due to shorter flying
times and longer working lives. There are overwintering advantages in the
more compact brood nest and if there is a better resistance to varroa and
acarine mite then all these features seem to point to better and easier
beekeeping by re-establishing the bees at the size they were before we
altered them.

Best Regards, Dave Cushman
G8MZY
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website...Beekeeping and Bee Breeding
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman