On Wed, 28 May 1997, Excerpts from BEE-L wrote:
 
> Hmmm.  I just counted the cells on a sheet of Permadent and got about 42
> by 78 on each of 2 sides.  That amounts to about 6550 cells per standard
> comb.
 
> At nine combs per box, that yields ~59,000. Divided by 21 that is ~2800
> cells available for brood and stores per day.  Ten frames provides more.
 
> As I recall, the standard box was originally designed to provide enough
> space for a normal queen to function well.
 
I happen to have some numbers to hand, though it probably varies
a little depending on the bees and/or the foundation tolerances.
 
MDs with 11 frames : 85,000 worker cells
Langstroth with 10 : 61,000 worker cells
UK National with 11: 50,000 worker cells (cute little frames :-)
 
I've regularly heard here that a queen can lay up to 2000
eggs a day. I personally think they can peak nearer 3000,
but probably not for long. In the UK, a 9-MD frame box usually
works out ok (IMHO), but I have seen a spring-laying queen lay
up about 15 (MD) in a 'good pattern' (she wasn't supposed to do
that ;-). Presuming she only actually half-filled each frame,
_that's_ around 2800/day for 21 days.
 
Regards, Gordon.
--
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