Bee Lifespan and

Honey Production

by

Lorraine G. deDanann
Math 1030
Professor D. K. Nelson
Salt Lake Community College

SECTION 1 LIFE AND DEATH IN THE HONEYBEE COLONY

Bees are a matriarchal society, headed by their queen. The queen has a potential life span of
about three years. During her life, she may lay eggs continually, continuing to birth new worker
bees until the colony has reached the carrying capacity of the hive. About 95% of the queens
offspring are worker bees, and about 5% are male drones. A honeybee queen usually lays an
average of 1,000 new eggs per day while the colony is in the initial growth period. The number
of eggs that a queen lays is determined by the needs of the hive, the age of the queen, and the
ambient temperature. As the population of the hive reaches the carrying capacity, the queen will
reduce her egg laying to prevent an unnecessary strain on available resources. An egg takes
about 3 days to mature into larvae, and about 6 days to mature into brood. An average colony has
about 7,000 sealed worker brood within any 7 day period. Worker brood take about 21 days to
mature into adults, and another 21 days before they become foragers.
The growth rate of bees follows a logistical growth pattern, with a maximum carrying capacity of
about 65,000 bees (depending on the type of hive used). As adult worker bees die daily, new
eggs are laid, eggs grow into larvae, which grow into sealed brood. The sealed brood bees
continue to grow to keep the population stable. We have calculated the initial population of a
new colony at 10,000 worker bees and one mated queen. With a maximum carrying capacity of
65,000 worker bees, 7,000 sealed brood in every 7 day period, and 21 day maturation of the
sealed brood into adulthood, an average colony will take about 11 weeks (77 days) to reach full
carrying capacity.

Worker Bees in the Colony

70000

Number of bees

60000
50000
40000

Sealed Brood

30000

New Adult Bees

Adult Bees

20000

Total Population
10000
0
Day 112

Day 105

Day 98

Day 91

Day 84

Day 77

Day 70

Day 63

Day 56

Day 49

Day 42

Day 35

Day 28

Day 21

Day 14

Day 7

Day 0

SECTION 2 - HONEY PRODUCTION IN A FULL COLONY

Honey bees will only forage when the outside temperature is above 54F (12C). Honey bees
will not forage if it is raining, or if the winds exceed 21 mph. In the winter, worker bees do not
collect pollen or make honey. To make one pound of honey, the bees in the colony must visit 2
million flowers, fly over 55,000 miles and will be the lifetime work of approximately 768 bees.
A single honeybee will only produce approximately 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime (one
pound of honey equals about 64 teaspoons). A single honey bee will visit 50-100 flowers on a
single trip out of the hive.
Large bee populations are more efficient honey producers than smaller populations. Honey
production per bee is increased in populations between 15,000 and 60,000 bees. The first 15,000
bees of a colony are largely working to maintain the colony, by caring for the queen and the
underdeveloped brood. Thus, the larger the bee population in a single hive, the larger the
production of honey, as a second hive (and queen bee) would require another 15,000 bees to
maintain the hive and second queen.
Production of honey is increased in the summer months, particularly between the first week of
June and the third week of July. This is because the summer months are more ideal for bees, with
increased pollen availability, warmer temperatures, and reduced inclement weather. Below is a
table showing the correlation between temperatures and the weight of a hive (a way to measure
honey in the hive without removal). Data for the table taken from the BIP Hive Scale Program,
from a hive outside Seattle, WA.

Weight of the Hive vs Outside Temperature

250
200
150
100
50
3/1
3/8
3/15
3/22
3/29
4/5
4/12
4/19
4/26
5/3
5/10
5/17
5/24
5/31
6/7
6/14
6/21
6/28
7/5
7/12
7/19
7/26
8/2
8/9
8/16
8/23
8/30

Weight

3/1 3/15 4/1 4/15 5/1 5/15 6/1 6/15 7/1 7/15 8/1 8/15 9/1
93.76 96.03 98.61 87.48 91.91 104.01129.36 180 195.63188.24 96.78 94.01 88.43

Temperature 51.16 55.59 49.81 54.65 71.3 60.72 60.16 70.89 93.57 81.84 93.65 78.24 73.96

SECTION 3 PROFITABILITY OF HONEY SALES

While the fundamental attributes of honey have not changed over the years, the underlying
supply structure supporting the U.S. honey market has changed significantly. Colony collapse
among U.S. suppliers and the growth of honey imports top the list of major structural changes.
As a general rule, all honey prices are highly correlated even with premiums and discounts based
on sources and colors. For example, domestic honey has averaged nearly a 43% premium over
imports. Yet the correlation between the two price series is .974.
Commercial bee colonies are moved throughout the U.S. for pollination purposes and the harvest
of honey. The economic value of the pollination is almost beyond measurement since the bees
are an essential link in the production process for most crops and pastures.
Modern honey prices like many other commodities depend on quality, grade, supply, and
demand. But trends can be found in watching honey prices over time, such as in the table below.
Retail price per pound taken from Bee Culture magazine.

Monthly prices of honey, per pound

$8.00
$7.00
Price per pound

$6.00
$5.00
$4.00
$3.00
$2.00
$1.00
$0.00

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

2011 $4.94

$5.02

$5.10

$5.22

$5.19

$5.04

$5.23

$5.17

$5.17

$5.23

$5.22

$5.32

2012 $5.26

$5.43

$5.42

$5.56

$5.65

$5.32

$5.67

$5.59

$5.73

$5.57

$5.63

$5.78

2013 $5.67

$5.83

$5.68

$5.73

$5.87

$5.81

$6.00

$5.97

$5.82

$5.97

$5.92

$6.04

2014 $5.98

$6.17

$6.17

$6.04

$6.40

$6.32

$6.18

$6.32

$6.37

$6.38

$6.31

$6.34

2015 $6.65

$6.43

$6.57

$6.52

$6.52

$6.56

$6.73

$6.75

$6.63

$6.69

$6.92

$6.79

FINAL THOUGHTS

Many factors come into play when calculating the lifespan of a honey bee, typical colony sizes
and growth population patterns, honey production, and profitability of honey sales. Bees come in
many varieties, including Italian, Russian, Carniolan, German, and Buckfast. Honeybees are not
native to North America, and were introduced by immigrants and traders from Europe and
elsewhere.
Other factors that can come into play are: the success, susceptibility, and broodlaying abilities of
the Queen; the weather; the moisture and rainfall; bee predators such as mites or parasites;
illness; the availability of pollen; the variety of plants that produce pollen; the type of hive used;
the handling and care of the beekeeper; the age of the queen, the hive, or the honeycomb, and so
on. There are so many factors, entire masters thesis have been written on the topic of calculating
bee or honey production, and modeling the future of honeybees, pollination, and honey
production and sales.
Concerns have arisen about the reduction in population of honeybees in North America and
around the world, and concerns about the use of pesticides like neonicotinoids, global climate
change, deforestation, and the use of GMO (genetically modified organisms) suggest a
correlation between these factors and the reducing bee population.
Bees pollenate about 75% of the produce we eat, including fruits, nuts, and vegetables. A
condition known as Colony Collapse Disorder is causing bee populations to plummet. In the
United States alone, more than 25 percent of the managed honey bee population has disappeared
since 1990. Keeping bee populations safe is critical for our agriculture, food growth, as well as
wild plants (and the animals and ecosystems that rely on them).

RESOURCES USED

Beesource.com
National Honey Board (honey.com)
Natural Resources Defense Council (nrdc.org)
Mother Earth News (motherearthnews.com)
The Canadian Honey Council (honeycouncil.ca)
The Hive Scale Program at Bee Informed (beeinformed.org)
Scientific Beekeeping (scientificbeekeeping.com)