In a message dated 24/12/2014 23:39:08 GMT Standard Time,  
[log in to unmask] writes:

My first  generation bees building on top bars have a smallest cell size of
5.0  mm
for brood and go up to 6.2 mm for honey and  drone.




I measured wild comb from a swarm that had occupied a traffic cone and  
obtained measurements between 4.7 and 5.4mm. Of the 5 combs, both the outer 
ones  had measurements at top, middle and bottom in excess of 5mm whereas nos 2 
and 4  were a mix of more, = or less than 5mm and the centre comb had all 
its measured  cells less than 5mm.
 
This is consistent with measurements I (with my son's help) took both  
sides, top right, centre and bottom left of all the worker comb in a top bar  
hive, working from front to back.  The measurements ranged between 5.7mm  and 
4.9mm being less on average in the centre of the combs.  When plotted  on a 
graph and the zig zags smoothed out there was a very noticeable U shape  
showing that the cell sizes were smaller, on average, in the centre of the  
colony than at the front or rear, the entrance being at the southern end of the 
 colony.
 
Going back to my original question: are there any particular parts or a bee 
 eg limbs, antennae, width of noddle that can be used as standards from 
which  deviations can be measured?
 
Chris

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