Dave wrote:
>Yes and they will only be content with between 16% and 27% drone cells 
>available.

content?

Not a word commercial beeks use. All my beekeeping I have tried to keep 
drone production per hive down to the 10% level.  Not sure how *content* the 
bees are but healthy and thriving for sure.

However it may be that a single hive on a location might prefer the numbers 
Dave wrote but my yard hive numbers are usually 24 (or higher) and because 
the drones drift between hives might be the reason the hives are *content* 
in my operations.

In fall if I have a queenless hive in a yard I will find all the drones the 
other hives have tossed out. 10% of 60,000 bees from 23 hives all in one 
spot. Quite a skeptical. You can almost see the fear in their eyes! 
Disorganization rules the scene.

Several times in my life I have felt the wrath of the female of the human 
species. Tossed from my warm home and forced to find another place to call 
home( all but once lasted only a couple days ). Once I (like the drones) 
felt I was going to freeze before a buddy took me in until her wrath 
subsided.

bob 

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