In summary

• A beehive 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 the winter season, but only six weeks during the summer months.
• A bee beats its wings about 200 times per second. This produces the audible “buzz.”
• It flies at approximately 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 to 30 trips per day. In total, 100,000 km per day are flown to forage on 3 to 30 million flowers.
• During a flight of 15–30 minutes, a bee visits 30–300 flowers and travels about 1 km. It collects approximately 40 mg of nectar and about 20 mg of pollen.
• Under these conditions, it takes 25 trips to fill one cell.
• A bee weighs about 100 mg. Its payload is 50–70 mg.
• 9% of its weight consists of fat.
• Over its short life, it produces about 1/12 of a teaspoon (≈ 0.5 g) of honey.
• During a very strong nectar flow, a good colony can collect up to 3 kg of honey per day (= 6 kg of nectar)—average 1–2 kg.
• A strong colony can produce more than 100 kg of honey per year (average 10–30 kg).
• Self-consumption is about 60–80 kg per year (= 120–160 kg of nectar). During the royal jelly production season, nurse bees require 500 g of honey per day.
• To produce 1 kg of honey, bees visit 4–5 million flowers and fly 40,000 km (once around the world) in 10,000 hours.
• To produce 1 kg of wax, they consume about 7 kg of honey.
• Bees need more than six times more energy to produce honey than to produce wax. For 1 kg of wax, this represents 10 kg of honey and 1 kg of pollen.
• A colony produces about 15–50 kg of pollen per year.
• 20 nurse bees are required to fill one royal jelly cell during the production period. Over a year, a colony produces between 300 g and 1 kg at most.
• A comb measuring 10×10 cm 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. Their total surface area in the hive is 5 m².
• During the summer months, queens can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. Over their 4–5-year lifespan, they produce about 500,000 bees.
• When brood is present, a colony consumes about 0.5–1 liter of water per day.
• Bees communicate with one another through a dance that conveys direction, distance, and the type of flowers to visit.
• A colony emits about 40 kg of CO₂ per year.
• A colony naturally produces bees (births, about 25 kg) as well as waste (about 40 kg).
• When brood is present, workers maintain the hive temperature around 35 °C using wing movements and thoracic muscles.
• Unfortunately, in some regions bees have been mysteriously disappearing for several years. Biodiversity loss, intensive pesticide use, and the presence of the parasite “Varroa,” which carries numerous viruses, certainly play a major role.

 

Annual balance of a colony

Let us analyze all the elements consumed by a bee colony in relation to all the elements it produces over one year. The figures presented are averages calculated for an average colony under average environmental conditions. Depending on region and climate, these values may vary.

Inputs to the hive

First, like all living organisms, bees consume water and oxygen: 30 kg of oxygen and 10 liters of water.

The main activity of foragers is then to collect propolis, honeydew, and above all pollen and nectar, which form the basis of their diet. In total, nectar, honeydew, and propolis average 240 kg per year. More precisely, the amount of nectar collected can vary between 60 and 1,600 kg depending on conditions. On each trip, a forager can collect about 40 mg of nectar, equivalent to about half its body weight. Under these conditions, 25 trips are required to fill one cell. Nectar is the basis for honey production.

Regarding pollen, the main protein source in the hive, the colony collects about 40 kg per year. Each bee can carry a pollen load on each hind leg (15 mg in total).

In addition to these “natural” elements, humans may provide sugar syrup (if the colony lacks resources) and treatments (if applicable).

Outputs

Like any living organism, the colony releases carbon dioxide, heat, and water. CO₂ accounts for 40 kg per year. Heat is released in the form of calories. Indeed, both in summer and winter, workers maintain the hive temperature around 35 °C through wing movements and thoracic muscle activity. Depending on conditions, they consume up to 20% of their honey reserves for this purpose, i.e., about 15 kg.

The water released comes from sugar combustion (bee metabolism, 15 kg) and from honey concentration (a step in its production, 180 kg).

Of course, bees also produce the hive products sought by humans: honey, royal jelly, and wax. Honey production amounts to about 60 kg per colony per year. Of this, 40 kg are required to meet the internal nutritional needs of the bees. These needs vary throughout the year. During the royal jelly production season, nurse bees require 500 g of honey per day. The additional 20 kg constitute a surplus that the beekeeper may harvest.

As for the hive’s “treasure,” royal jelly, 20 nurse bees are needed to fill one royal cell during the production period. Over the year, a colony produces between 300 g and a maximum of 1 kg.

Within the hive, bees also produce wax to build their cells (less than 1 kg per year). With 100 g of wax, workers can build 8,000 cells, whose total surface area in the hive is 5 m². Wax production is very energy-intensive: producing 1 kg of wax requires 10 kg of honey and 1 kg of pollen.

Finally, the colony naturally produces bees (births) and waste, namely about 25 kg of bees and 40 kg of waste.

Balance of inputs:

• Water: 10 kg
• Oxygen: 30 kg
• Honeydew and propolis: variable
• Pollen: 40 kg
• Nectar: 60–1,600 kg
• Human inputs: syrup and treatments

Balance of outputs:

• Water: 195 kg
• Carbon dioxide: 40 kg
• Heat (calories)
• Honey: 60 kg
• Royal jelly: 300 g to 1 kg
• Bees: 25 kg
• Wax: less than 1 kg
• Waste: 40 kg

The bee, this tireless worker

It is also important to recall just how extraordinary the bee is—a persistent and tireless worker. Analyzing the figures related to its life is impressive.

The queen and the larvae

In a colony at peak season, there are 30,000 to 60,000 bees, all daughters of the queen. She lays the equivalent of her own weight in eggs in one season and up to 2,000 eggs per day. Over her 4–5-year lifespan, she produces about 500,000 bees.

The growth rate of larvae is also remarkable: they increase their weight by a factor of 1,500 in 6 days. By comparison, in humans this growth is limited to about 15–25 times over 20 years.

Foraging workers

As adults, foragers weigh on average 80 mg but can carry up to 70 mg, nearly their own weight. Their flight speed is about 27 km/h, and their wings beat 75–200 times per second. During trips of 15–30 minutes, a forager visits 20–300 flowers and travels about 1 km. It collects 40 mg of nectar or 20 mg of pollen per trip. Consequently, it flies about 800 km during its lifetime (45 days).

A colony has on average 10,000–15,000 foragers that fly out daily. Each makes 10–30 trips per day. In total, 100,000 km are flown to forage on 3–30 million flowers. Each day, foragers collect 2–4 kg of nectar, which ultimately yields an average of 1 kg of honey. This foraging activity covers an area of about 40 km².

Sources:

Article by Dominique Clarté published in the GPGR newsletter, and P. Jean-Prost, author of the book “Apiculture, connaître l’abeille, conduire son rucher.”

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