Bee Population Calculator

Estimate colony size from frames of bees and brood. Assess queen quality from brood pattern, evaluate colony strength, and estimate forager population.

Inputs

Frames of Bees

Frames of Brood

Brood Pattern Coverage

Tab to move between fields

Results

Estimated Colony Size

46,660 bees

Colony Strength

Strong

Adult Bees30,000

Active Brood Cells41,650

Daily Bee Emergence1,983 bees/day

Queen QualityGood

Swarm RiskModerate

Estimated Foragers9,900

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Frames of Bees, Frames of Brood, and Brood Pattern Coverage.
Review Estimated Colony Size (bees) and Colony Strength.
Use Adult Bees and Active Brood Cells to inform your decision.
Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.

How the result changes with Frames of Bees

Frames of Bees	Estimated Colony Size	Colony Strength
3	24,160 bees	Moderate
11	44,160 bees	Strong
20	66,660 bees	Very Strong
27	84,160 bees	Very Strong

What each input means

Frames of Bees: Number of frames with bees covering both sides. A strong colony has 15–20 frames of bees in a double deep.
Frames of Brood: Number of frames containing eggs, larvae, and capped brood. A productive queen lays on 6–10 frames at peak.
Brood Pattern Coverage: Percentage of brood cells that are filled in a solid pattern. 90%+ = excellent queen; below 50% = poor queen.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
Frames of Bees = 12, Frames of Brood = 7, Brood Pattern Coverage = 85 = 3 input(s) provided
Calculate Estimated Colony Size
Estimated Colony Size
46660 = 46660
Calculate Colony Strength
Strong = Strong
Calculate Adult Bees
Adult Bees
30000 = 30000
Calculate Active Brood Cells
Active Brood Cells
41650 = 41650

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