>How doe SSIS select the data type for excel columns and how can I override it.
>
>Thanks

Nick, over the years I've been frustrated with the way that SSIS works with Excel. So if I'm able to convert the spreadsheet to a CSV file without any loss in functionality, I'll do so.

Naomi's post might very well help - the IMEX property can be of great use - but I always try to use CSV where possible.