My own observations show a range of brood cell size in naturally drawn > comb and a range of worker sizes. 
 
That raises a few questions. 
Is the range of cell size a deliberate act, or are bees naturally inconsistent - perhaps due to an inability to make identical cells throughout the nest? 
Why wuld they need to produce a range of worker sizes? 







In my top bar hive, where the bees have only a bead of wax drawn with a soldering iron down the centre line of each bar to guide them, they tend to have smaller cells in the centre of each comb compared with the periphery.  Also there seems to be a tendency to reduce the average cell size as the combs are further from the entrance and then increase again further back.  Average worker cell size is about 5.2 ranging from 4.9 to 5.4. This is from a sample of 1 so needs to be reproduced a few hundred times to produce reliable science. Any volunteers?

A range of worker sizes will increase the flexibility and versatility of a colony.  There may be some flowers that are more accessible to smaller bees. It may be advantageous to get more workers per square (or hexagonal) inch, especially during the early or late part of the season. As I replace brood combs in hives with frames I tend nowadays to cut out everything that has been bred in, leaving just a 'footprint' of comb round the perimeter to guide them and the hives in which I have been doing this seem do be doing better than those still on foundation-based comb. Again this is far too small a sample to be regarded as scientific but maybe somebody who keeps bees on a larger scale than me would like to to controlled tests.

Chris

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