Life in the hive
| Bee | How many | What she or he does |
|---|---|---|
| Queen | 1 | Lays up to about 1,500 eggs a day |
| Workers (all female) | Tens of thousands | Clean, nurse, build, guard, gather |
| Drones (male) | A few hundred | Mate with queens; no stinger |
A summer worker lives only about six weeks, working nearly the whole time.
The waggle dance
- A forager finds flowersShe flies home with nectar
- She dances on the combA figure-eight with a waggling run
- The angle points the wayMeasured from the direction of the sun
- The length tells the distanceLonger waggle, farther flowers
Nobel Prize
Karl von Frisch decoded the dance and shared the 1973 Nobel Prize.
Sweet facts
1/12teaspoon of honey made by one worker in her life
2 millionflowers visited for a pound of honey, about
55,000miles flown for that pound, about
Centurieshow long sealed honey can keep
Honey is low in water and slightly acidic, so germs can't grow in it.
Remember
Every spoonful of honey is the life's work of a dozen bees.
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Answer key
- How do honeybees tell each other where flowers are?The waggle danceThe dance's angle and length give direction and distance.
- In the waggle dance, the angle shows:Direction relative to the sunThe angle from vertical matches the angle from the sun.
- How much honey does one worker make in her life?About 1/12 teaspoonIt takes a dozen bees' lifetimes for one teaspoon.
- Which bees do all the work?Workers (females)Workers clean, nurse, build, guard and gather.
- Why does sealed honey keep so long?It's low in water and slightly acidicGerms can't grow in it.