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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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