A Hive of Honey Bees
We know that bees have been producing honey as they do today for at least 100 million years. Bees produce honey as food stores for the hive during the long months of winter when flowers aren’t blooming and therefore little or no nectar is available to them. European honey bees, genus Apis Mellifera, produce such an abundance of honey, far more than the hive can eat, that humans can harvest the excess. For this reason, European honey bees can be found in beekeeper’s hives around the world!
Honey bees are social insects, with a marked division of labor between the various types of bees in the colony. A colony of honey bees includes a queen, drones and workers.
The queen is the only sexually developed female in the hive. She is the largest bee in the colony. The life span of a queen bee is around 5 years, of which she can produce eggs, at its best, for the first 2 years. A productive queen can lay 2500 eggs in a single day, out of which 90% is female.
Workers feed the queen and larvae, guard the hive entrance and help to keep the hive cool by fanning their wings. Worker bees also collect nectar to make honey. Honey bees’ wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.
There can be 100,000 air miles in a pound of honey.
One gallon of honey corresponds to 12 pounds.
honey bee, gourmet honey, honey facts
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