@ Astonishing figures

Bees are remarkable animals. Did you know that they have existed for more than 65 million years (around 260 times longer than humans) and that they are the only insects in the world that produce a food consumed by humans without any processing.

In summary

• A hive consists of 10,000–15,000 bees in winter and more than 30,000–60,000 bees in summer.
• Worker bees live about 6 months during winter, but only six weeks during summer.
• A bee beats its wings about 200 times per second, producing the audible buzz.
• It flies at around 25 km/h and covers about 800 km during its lifetime.
• In summer, a strong colony has 10,000–15,000 foragers, each making 10–30 trips per day, totalling 100,000 km/day to visit 3–30 million flowers.
• During a 15–30-minute flight, a bee visits 30–300 flowers and travels about 1 km, collecting around 40 mg of nectar and 20 mg of pollen.
• Under these conditions, 25 trips are needed to fill one cell.
• A bee weighs about 100 mg and can carry 50–70 mg.
• 9% of its body weight consists of fat.
• Over its short life, it produces about one teaspoon of honey.
• During intense nectar flows, a strong colony may collect up to 3 kg of honey per day (= 6 kg of nectar).
• A strong colony can produce over 100 kg of honey per year.
• Self-consumption is about 60–80 kg per year (= 120–160 kg of nectar). During royal jelly production, nurse bees require 500 g of honey per day.
• To produce 1 kg of honey, bees visit 3–10 million flowers and fly 60,000 km (1.5 times around the Earth) in 10,000 hours.
• Producing 1 kg of wax requires about 7 kg of honey.
• Honey production requires over six times more energy than wax production. For 1 kg of wax, this corresponds to 10 kg of honey and 1 kg of pollen.
• A colony produces about 30–60 kg of pollen annually.
• 20 nurse bees are required to fill one royal jelly cell. Annual production ranges from 300 g to 1 kg.
• A 10×10 cm comb contains 850 cells on both sides and weighs 12 g. One cell holds 0.5 g of honey.
• With 100 g of wax, workers can build 8,000 cells, covering a total surface of 5 m².
• In summer, queens may lay up to 2,000 eggs per day, producing about 500,000 bees over a 4- to 5-year lifespan.
• When brood is present, a colony consumes about 2 litres of water per day.
• Bees communicate through dances to indicate direction, distance and type of flowers.
• A colony emits about 40 kg of CO₂ per year.
• A colony produces bees (births, approx. 25 kg) and waste (approx. 40 kg).
• When brood is present, workers maintain hive temperature at about 35 °C.
• In some regions, bees have mysteriously declined in recent years. Biodiversity loss, intensive pesticide use and the parasite Varroa carrying viruses likely play a major role.

Annual balance of a colony

The figures below represent average annual inputs and outputs of a colony under average environmental conditions and may vary by region and climate.

Inputs

Like all living organisms, bees consume water and oxygen: 30 kg of oxygen and 10 litres of water.

The main activity of foragers is collecting propolis, honeydew, pollen and nectar. In total, nectar, honeydew and propolis amount to about 240 kg per year. Nectar collection ranges from 60 to 1,600 kg depending on conditions.

Pollen intake averages 40 kg/year. Each bee carries about 15 mg per trip.

Additional inputs may include sugar syrup and treatments provided by humans.

Outputs

Annual CO₂ emissions reach 40 kg. Hive temperature is maintained at about 35 °C, consuming up to 20% of honey reserves (≈ 15 kg).

Water output derives from sugar metabolism (15 kg) and honey concentration (180 kg).

Annual honey production averages 60 kg, of which 40 kg is consumed internally and 20 kg is surplus.

Royal jelly production ranges from 300 g to 1 kg per year.

Wax production is less than 1 kg per year.

Additional outputs include 25 kg of bees and 40 kg of waste.