From: "Allen Dick" <allend@internode.net>
Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 07:01:17 -0700
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: cell size measurement

> As far as I understand it well may help do just sell queens from such an
> operation, certainly better than from one on big cells.

Honey bee queens are raised in cells that are not at all constrictive,
however the diameter of the cell cup used in grafting has historically been
found to be extremely critical, with very little tolerance permissible if
good acceptance is desired. (Has this changed)?

Moreover the opinion of breeders and customers has been that the larger the
cell, the better the queen, and the popular belief -- expressed often and
loudly -- has always been that an excess of feed for the queen is essential
for ensuring high quality queens.

If the genetics of the bees on small comb are not much, if at all different,
from the bees that are being raised on large cells as I have heard claimed
by the main proponent of small cell, and the queen cells used are not
constrictive, and the feed is not restricted, and if we can assume that the
feed for queens raised in large cell and small cell hives must be the same
(or else we would be getting caste effects), then how can queens raised by
small comb bees differ from queens raised by bees on large comb?

allen