>>...true with all varroa tolerant bees I have tested. Small winter clusters and not prolific *for our area*. This is what has been said of the so-called SMR bees - tolerant of varroa but not productive. I inquired about those bees with Strachan Apiaries a couple of years ago and they said, at the time, they were considering the SMR line for this reason. Waldemar -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---