Honeybees are marvels of nature, bustling about in the pursuit of nectar that they turn into rich, gooey honey. Their beehives are small-scale cities where each resident has a critical role to play. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast who adores these buzzing critters or you just want to know where your favorite honey comes from, we have the information you’re looking for. Read on as we explore 10 fun facts about honeybees and their beehives.
The Social Structure Inside a Beehive
If you could step into a beehive, you’d witness a bustling civilization with a complex social hierarchy and occupational structure. There are three main types of bees you’ll find.
- The queen bee is the matriarch and mother of the hive, laying eggs that start the life cycle of a new bee.
- Worker bees are females that make up the largest number in the hive. They’re the busy ones, doing all the heavy lifting both inside and outside the hive.
- Drone bees are males who exist solely to mate with the queen. The worker bees initially care for them, but drone bees are the first to experience exile from the colony in winter when food is scarce.
Worker bees are the multitaskers of the colony. They perform several vital roles, such as tending to the brood, feeding the queen and drones, guarding the hive, and foraging for nectar and pollen.
The Life Cycle of a Honeybee
Each honeybee grows and works according to a specific cycle. Even upon their birth, they know by instinct what they should do and have the diligence to follow through on their role each day. Their life cycle is unique and fascinating.
- It starts with a tiny egg, usually laid in one of the hexagonal cells of the comb.
- After about three days, the egg hatches into a larva, which consumes a special substance called “royal jelly”.
- The larva grows and, when ready, spins a cocoon around itself to further its transformation into an adult bee.
- About 21 days after the laying of the egg, a new worker will emerge and get to work, collecting pollen and creating honey to sustain the colony.
The Mysterious “Waggle Dance”
When worker bees find a rich nectar source, they don’t just keep it to themselves. They come back to the hive and perform a dance—a specific series of movements that communicate the direction, distance, and quality of the newly discovered food source. It’s called the “waggle dance,” and it’s the bees’ way of sharing important information with their hive mates. Once they convey the message, the bees go on their way to find additional flowers and gather nectar. This communication process is, in part, what assures that bees always have access to the resources they need to make honey.
How Bees Make Honey and Store It in Beehives
We all know bees make honey. But did you know that they have to visit over two million flowers and fly 55,000 miles to make just one pound of it? They collect nectar from flowers and store it in their honey stomachs, which is separate from their regular one. They then fly it back to the hive and transfer it to worker bees who process it further, adding enzymes and water to start the evaporation process. When the honey dries out, they store it in the honeycomb for later.
The Role of Pollination in Agriculture and Ecosystems
Honeybees are important pollinators. In fact, they are responsible for an estimated one-third of the food we eat, including fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Bees collect pollen as a protein source to feed the hive. While doing so, they transfer pollen from one flower to another, allowing plants to reproduce and form seeds and fruit. This process is critical for growing all the natural goods we love as well as supporting the local ecosystems.
The Queen Bee and Her Unique Position in the Hive
Another fun fact you should know about honeybees and their beehives has to do with the role of the queen. The queen bee is the most important bee in the hive. She can live up to five years—way longer than worker bees, who only live for a few weeks. She’s the only bee with fully developed ovaries, which means she’s the only one who can lay eggs. During the peak season, queen bees lay a couple thousand eggs every 24 hours, populating the hive just in time to gather the most possible pollen.
The Dangers Honeybees Face and How We Can Help
As vital as they are to our way of life and general natural order, honeybees are facing numerous challenges that reduce their numbers. These challenges include habitat loss, pests and diseases, and pesticide use. That said, we can plant bee-friendly flowers, avoid using pesticides in our gardens, and support beekeepers to help bees thrive. Every little bit helps to protect these vital insects.
The Surprising Realities of Wintering in a Beehive
Honeybees don’t hibernate, but they do stay busy in the winter. To keep the hive warm, they huddle around the queen and use their wings to fan, releasing heat from their flight muscles in the process. They also take turns moving to the outer edge of the cluster to get food and then back to the center to warm up. It’s a carefully orchestrated system that ensures the survival of the hive through the cold season.
The Impressive Organization and Hygiene Inside a Beehive
Bees meticulously clean their hive by removing debris and dead bees. They also practice excellent hygiene with their brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and work to regulate the temperature inside the hive, keeping it at a toasty 95°F.
The Amount of Work To Produce One Pound of Honey
The sheer amount of work that goes into producing a pound of honey is mind-boggling. As mentioned earlier, it takes over two million flowers and 55,000 miles of flight. Each bee makes only about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime.
The lives of honeybees are full of intrigue, and the beehive is a testament to their industrious nature. In learning more about them, we can deepen our appreciation for nature’s small wonders and the critical role bees play in our world. At Bell Honey, we aren’t just bulk honey suppliers; we’re beekeepers with a passion for preserving the beautiful colonies that help us in many ways. Whether you’re interested in buying premium raw honey straight from the source or simply want to learn more, our team can get you what you need.