From: "T & M Weatherhead" <queenbee@gil.com.au>
Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 09:55:38 +1000
To: <BiologicalBeekeeping@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: cell size measurement

Allen Dick wrote

> 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)?

Not sure about this Allen as there are recorded cases in the early days here
in Australia of queen bee breeders using drone cells to graft into. Not
sure what the queen was like but you know how they always tell us it was
better in the "good old days". <G>

It would have been into queenless colonies so maybe the emergency situation
of not having a queen took over and the cell was altered to accommodate the
queen. When you think about it, a worker cell is changed to accommodate a
queen under both supercedure and emergency situations. Rarely are the dummy
queen cells on the side of the frame used.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA