Colony strength estimator
Count the way the almond graders count — frames of bees and frames of brood — and this turns the count into bees: the adults you have now, the bees on the way out of capped brood, and how the colony reads against the almond standard.
The estimate
| Adult bees now (frames of bees × bees per frame) | — |
| Weight of those bees, at about 4,000 bees to the pound | — |
| Capped brood cells (frames × capped share × ~6,900 cells per full frame) | — |
| Bees on the way — those cells emerge within about 12 days | — |
| Colony in about two weeks, if the queen keeps laying and losses are ordinary | — |
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Where the numbers come from. Oregon State University studies measured about 2,400 adult bees on a standard deep comb completely covered (Oregon State University Extension, Evaluating Honey Bee Colonies for Pollination, PNW 623) — that is the default above. Many working beekeepers use 2,000 bees a frame (Randy Oliver, Scientific Beekeeping); the sources differ, so the figure is yours to set. A deep frame 65% covered with brood holds about 4,500 cells (Scientific Beekeeping, nuc-buildup model), which works out to roughly 6,900 cells for a fully capped frame. About 4,000 bees weigh a pound. The almond frame counts are the published ones: research and extension put 6–10 frames of bees as sufficient for almond pollination, with contract minimums commonly at 6–8 frames (University of Wisconsin / extension colony-strength guidance).
An estimate, not a grade. A real grading counts comb by comb at a stated temperature and coverage. This tool turns your count into bees with published conversion figures — it does not inspect your colony.
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