From: "deelusbybeekeeper" <deelusbybeekeeper@excelonline.com>
Date: Thu, 10 May 2001 23:15:22 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: bee bobs

Hi to all on Biological Beekeeping

Joel wrote"

> your answer prompts the question "In reference to what?" If there is a
> 2% cell differentiation for each degree of lattitude, or difference in
> altitude, what is the base size, lattitude, and altitude, from which to
> determine optimum size for one's given location?

Reply:

This is a good question Joel. If one goes through archives and notes natural
feral cell sizes around the turn of the 1900 century up to just prior to
WWII or earlier back though the centuries and plots the sizes on a world
map, lateral feral worker cell size zones appear around our earth.

Sizes are smaller at the equator for yellow bees and get bigger as one
progresses towards the poles. But yellow size transitions out beginning
around the 30th parallel and small black begins to transition in. Where
yellow bees meet black bees, F1 hybrids are formed as simple hybrids (nature
does not breed complex mixtures, only man). The Small blacks then
progressively get bigger as they go laterally towards the poles.

Now bees also get larger as they go up in altitude. Black bees get bigger,
while yellow bees transition into black zones as hills are climbed.

Now the difference is not as great as one might assume. In the tropics it
averages about 4.6mm to 5.0mm, and in temperate zones it averages about
4.7mm to about 5.2mm for the most part. Not saying there are exceptions due
to exceptionally high altitude like on th transylvanian plateau of Europe or
areas below sealevel in the tropics.

Within each zone there is a small, medium, large range for variation.

Now what does this mean? Depends on the person. To us 4.9mm controls
parasitic mites and secondary diseases and is found in both zones and
therefore a go between size. Is it necessary?

Well, seeing how badly our bees are mongrelized and mixed up beyond simple
F1 hybrids, it then becomes a perfect size to put ones bees upon, to go back
to natural beekeeping, to let ones bees seat back in locally to acclimatize,
so natural feral sizing, over the long haul can be achieved.

Now I don't know if I have answered your question or compounded it. But you
can look at a world map at the following url:

http://www.beesource.com/index2.htm

Dee