Hi Guys, Just another thought. Keeping bees on small cell comb and gaining mite tolerance is a completely different cat than 'small cell beekeeping'. The Lusbys have invented a complete beekeeping philosopy call 'small cell beekeeping'. It's much more than just cell size and mite tolerance. It's based on an singular organic philosophy and has its own unique vocabulary. Almost every aspect of colony health, colony management and bee behavior is tied back to cell size. But a beekeeper doesn't have to be a 'small cell beekeeper' to get the benefits of keeping bees on small cell comb. The benefits are real. By the way, my best small cell hive has been consistently headed by an SMR queen. Not because of any difference in mite tolerance, its no longer an issue, but because of all the other characteristics. A close runner up is a NWC selection. Regards Dennis :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::