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. -- Gordon Scott [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] (work) The Basingstoke Beekeeper (newsletter) [log in to unmask] <A HREF="http://www.apis.demon.co.uk">Gordon's Apis Home Page</A> Beekeeper; Kendo 3rd Dan; Sometime sailor. Hampshire, England.