# cell size questions.



## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

I have read that with the brood chamber comb, you should replace every so often after #? of years due to the cells becoming smaller from each brood cycle. I also think that replacing comb due to chemical/desease build-up makes sense. With that in mind...

Question 1. Has anyone measured the cell size of normal foundation/comb, say after one, three, or five year periods? What is the natural downsizing factor?

Question 2. Anyone have any experience with breeders as to how often they change comb? Do they have older comb that perhaps raises slightly smaller bees and therefore help with thier own survival rates?

Question 3. If you are chemical free (oils only, etc.), and would not have chemical build-up within the comb, then would you be achieving small cell sized bees after a certain number of years?

Question 4. If you are, and have always been AFB free, what expectations could you have on the life span, of comb in a hive?

Question 5. If you need for whatever reason to change comb out, and smallcell foundation can be introduced without any apparent problem, then what all the fuss about shake-downs and "step" processes involved with the "conversion" process. Wouldn't just replacing frames as needed with small cell work? (Taking time out of the answer)

question #6. Bees have been bred throughout the years for honey production, gentleness, swarming factors, size (for a # of reasons), non-propolis collection, and a host of other traits. Are you losing years of "selected" qualities by going small-cell? Are any individual traits effected?

Thank-you.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I have read that with the brood chamber comb, you should replace every so often after #? of years due to the cells becoming smaller from each brood cycle. I also think that replacing comb due to chemical/desease build-up makes sense. With that in mind...
Question 1. Has anyone measured the cell size of normal foundation/comb, say after one, three, or five year periods? What is the natural downsizing factor?

I don't know of any scientific measurments on this, just rough estimates by beekeepers. I'm guessing it would take five or six years to get from 5.4mm to 4.9mm at least. But I could not say for sure.

>Question 3. If you are chemical free (oils only, etc.), and would not have chemical build-up within the comb, then would you be achieving small cell sized bees after a certain number of years?

Quite a few years, but yes.

>Question 4. If you are, and have always been AFB free, what expectations could you have on the life span, of comb in a hive?

I've had some 30 years, but generally it has been chewed up by the bees or the moths before then and get's replaced. I've never had AFB and haven't used TM since the late 1970's.

>Question 5. If you need for whatever reason to change comb out, and smallcell foundation can be introduced without any apparent problem, then what all the fuss about shake-downs and "step" processes involved with the "conversion" process. Wouldn't just replacing frames as needed with small cell work? (Taking time out of the answer)

That's my opinion. I've heard several others share that opinion.

>question #6. Bees have been bred throughout the years for honey production, gentleness, swarming factors, size (for a # of reasons), non-propolis collection, and a host of other traits. Are you losing years of "selected" qualities by going small-cell? Are any individual traits effected?

Do you mean breeding for small cell or just regressing to small cell? Obviously when you go for feral survivors many traits are more unpredictable including those you mention. Just regressing domestic bees doesn't affect those traits.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

>Are you losing years of "selected" qualities by going small-cell? Are any individual traits effected?

Sorry this does not pertain to small cell, but when I talked to B-Weaver about the mite resistant Buckfast bees, they told me that they lost the gentelness in the process. Hence my experiance with viscious Buckfast bees. They are selecting the gentelness back now since they have achieved mite resistance.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Sorry this does not pertain to small cell, but when I talked to B-Weaver about the mite resistant Buckfast bees, they told me that they lost the gentelness in the process. Hence my experiance with viscious Buckfast bees. They are selecting the gentelness back now since they have achieved mite resistance.

I still say, I've seen hot bees over the decades I've had bees. Often they were feral bees in trees and houses, but they were nothing compared to those Buckfasts. I still think they were Africanized. But I hope B Weaver gets a handle on it. I sure used to love their Buckfasts.


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