>>I care less what the *experts* say about the amount of drone comb the bees 
need to be *happy* bees. I try to keep 10% and under drone comb in the hive. 

The 10% figure is often mentioned here and there. Why 10%?  Does this increase your honey production?
I used to think the same but gave up on this method of scraping off any drone cells that went beyond 10% area.  Now I take the frames with the most drone cells and use them for the outer frames in each box.  As the colony expands in the late spring to cover these [drone] frames they raise whatever amount of drones they feel they need in those outer frames.  Seems to save the bees a lot of energy in trying to rebuild scraped drone cells. 
BTW, in a 3 deep hive, drone cells make up less than 10% (although they may make up more than 10% of the combined active brood cells).
>>Dee Lusby has said on BEE-L before she tries to keep drone cells 10% and 
under.
What is Dee's rationale?  Letting the bees raise whatever drone brood they feel they need would seem more natural. 
Waldemar                
Long Island, NY
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