> We have been discussing genetics and shipping but the question of drone count brings a new perspective.


A new perspective for me also, but in hindsight, evident that queen purchases approaching multiple tens of thousands produced by a single supplier may have an issue with available drones.  Managing drone mother colonies in large operations seems like a formidable task. I'd like to hear it discussed by folks doing it - the numbers add up fast. 


> About 6000 mature drones need to be in the general area where the 100 queen bees are mating during the few days that mating takes place to ensure that each queen bee mated with a minimum of 12 drones.


>https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/117459/drone-mother-colonies-number-position.pdf

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