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Subject:
Re: as 10-15 pounds of bees outside of the hive
From:
Peter Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 27 Aug 2017 21:12:41 -0400
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text/plain
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Hi all
Back to the actual thread, could a colony have "10-15 pounds of bees outside of the hive"?

Jerzy Woyke actually weighed bee colonies: 

> Worker population (WP, in thousands of bees) was determined from total weight of bees in the colony on 22 June 1978. Number of bees was calculated by using 113ยท8 g as the weight of 1000 bees. Colonies in the favourable season of 1978 reached a strength of 20 900-41 000 workers, with an average of 30 200. 

A large colony would therefore contain about 10 pounds. I doubt that this same colony could have a field force of 10+ pounds. Even a colony of 60,000 bees would not contain more than about 15 lbs of bees in total. Just saying.

PLB

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