News from Down Under

[Michael Bush]

Small cell studies:
https://bushfarms.com/beessctheories.htm#smallcellstudies

As far as cell size, the bees will chew out the cocoons when the cell size falls below a set threshold.  There is a limit to how small they will get and it's a natural limit.  See "A Biometrical Study of the Influence of Size of Brood Cell upon the Size and Variability of the Honeybee (Apis mellifera L.)"-Roy Grout

Also you get smaller cells just by letting them.  Don't use foundation and you get smaller cells.

[max2]

In the studies I have been reading there is no mention of bees" chewing"  and thus trying to enlarge the cells? I have not seen it done.
Less honey, less pollen, smaller population...smaller bees...does not seem to be favourable to a colony?
We don't have Varroa at this stage and I can't personally comment about the effect of smaller cells on varroa



Research shows ( comparing new comb vs 4 year old comb): with 4 year old comb: 15% less honey, 19.7% less pollen and 24% smaller population.They also noted that the honey was not as nice.Bees were smaller ( 32%)Queens also ( 28%)...less royal jelly.Multiple references are quoted.To me, the evidence is clear.I have been making up more frames and have started to replace  more frames each time I take honey off - this is the best time for me with less need to lift supers.

[NigelP]

There was an old paper examining some French bee colonies that were surviving varroa without treatment.
What made my ears prick up was when they treated some of these colonies for varroa honey yields increased by 1.7x. a not inconsiderable amount.  Sug gesting (for these bees at least) living with varroa was very energetically expensive.
https://www.apidologie.org/articles/apido/pdf/2007/06/m6118.pdf

[max2]

I checked on the two large swarmes we hived.
Both are going very well.
I added traps and and inner lid.
I also checked on the first batch of nuc's i made a month ago.
All have queens and quite nice patterns of eggs.
Some are ready to sell.

[max2]

A followup on the SS Queen excluder.
These are punched excluders I never been game to use. The edges feel rather sharp.
Others here have used them with no isse.
So, I gave one a go.
Nil problem. The excluder is now on my best producing hive.
I took a 1/2 super of honey off this hive on the 27, September and another full 1/2 super  on the 4. October.
To my surprise the Q excluder was very clean - no comb builduo, no propolis.
I often read about Q excluders being honey excluders. Well this hive , to my surprise, had no issue.

[Michael Bush]

I had some punched plastic ones in the past.  I think they tear up their wings more than smooth wire or smooth round plastic ones.