From: "huestis" <buzzybee@capital.net>
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 07:35:55 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: Size of honey and drone combs

> So to answer your question, "Are drones bigger than they used to be?" Well,
> Micky, yes they are, along with workers and queens also! By changing our
> worker combs bigger, to closer to drone cell size, we have reduced the
> natural pollen foraged and brought into our colonies, thus necessating
> artificial feeding.
>
> I could probably go on here, but I think you will get the point made. Many
> things have changed relative to the changing of cell size concerning our
> honeybees.

reply:

Because bees our now on a cell size closer to drone size. They now store
less pollen in these cells, thus reducing the over all health of these
colonies. By going back to smaller sizing one brings there bees back into
relationship with their surroundings (foraging). I would be interested to
know the difference in pollen consumption between colonies on 4.9 vs.
5.2(mine)? Would colonies on 4.9 gather more pollen as there are many more
mouths to feed. yet also many more bees are raise to collect the pollen.
Mostly I would like to know about the consumption rate of pollen(and its
relation to brood rearing?) between traditional cell size vs. modern size?

Clay- thinking about brooding in the great north!