The honeybee cells prior to 1893 were about 4.9 mm. in diameter. After that year the
comb cells were artificially enlarged to 5.4 mm. and up. The thinking at that time was
bigger bees, more honey. But the natural cell size of 4.9 mm. bees have 22% more cells
per frame.(1) This means more bees, more honey.
We should look at the bees in the wild and try to mimic their habitat. There is air
movement in the hollow trees at all times. The use of screen bottom boards will
duplicate the air flow and a large number of mites and trash will fall out the bottom just
as in the hollow trees.
With small cell bees you will virtually eliminate your Tracheal and Varroa mite
problems. The trachea tube of the 4.9 bees are smaller and therefore prohibit the mites
from entering into the trachea’s of the bees. This makes one thing less that you will have
to treat. Another example of this is with the Varroa mite. 4.9 bees have a shorter capping
time of the cells by 12 hours and shorter post capping time by 12 hours. (2) This
interruption of the life cycle means less Varroa getting into the cells and reproducing in
them. Therefore less Varroa mites will be reaching maturity. Also, the Varroa mites do
not like to lay their eggs in the smaller 4.9 cells.
The bees will chew Varroa mites out of the cells on the down side of the honey flow. (3)
The chewing out will start slowly as the queen stops raising drones, and will pick up as
the drones are expelled from the hive, then will taper off just prior to the brood nest
cleaning time.
Varroa mites will multiply up to 12 times faster on regular 5.4 foundation drone brood
than on worker brood. (4)
Small cell bees, when used in conjunction with screen bottom boards along with powder
sugar dusting in the fall, will give an effective chemical free control of Varroa.
