scientific name: Apis mellifera
castes in colony: 3 (queen, worker & drone)
eggs laid in a day: 1,500-2,000
size of eggs: 1/16 inch (1.6mm)
egg to adult queen: 16 days
egg to adult worker: 21 days
egg to adult drone: 24 days
drone cell size: 4 per lineal inch of comb
worker cell size: 5 per lineal inch of comb
size of adult worker: 1/2 inch (1.2cm)
size of adult queen: 3/4 inch 1.5 times a worker
temperature of hive: 93-95° Fahrenheit
(brood rearing)
temperature of winter cluster: 85° Fahrenheit
bees per colony: 45,000-70,000
bees per pound: 4,000-6,000
lifespan of queen: up to about 5 years
lifespan of drone: 3 months or until mated
lifespan of worker (summer): 45 days
lifespan of worker (winter): 4-6 months
flight speed: 12 mph
wing beats (normal): 250 cycles/second
wing beat (buzzing)s: 400-500 cycles/second
visits to fill honey stomach: 1,000 flowers
visits to make 1 lb. of honey: 2,000,000 flowers
weight of 1 gallon of honey: 12 lbs.
1 cell of honey represents: life's work of 60 bees
nectar required for 1 lb. of honey: 10 lbs.
distance flown for 1 lb. of honey: about 55,000 miles
honey required make 1 lb. of beeswax: 10 lbs. of honey
pollen gathered per hive per year: 66 lbs.
water vapor produced from consuming 10 lb honey: 1 gal