n A hive in the winter will have about 30,000 bees. In the summer, it can rise above 80,000.

n Each hive will have one queen and several hundred male drones, who exist only to mate with the queen, then die. The rest are worker bees, infertile females who build the hive, gather pollen and nectar, protect the colony and feed the queen. When workers sense they need more bees, they increase the food to the queen so she’ll lay more eggs.

n A queen bee will lay 1,500 to 2,000 eggs per day in a healthy hive. She generally mates only once, getting enough sperm from multiple suitors to last her life, typically two to four years

n A queen with a proven genetic pedigree, called a breeder queen, often costs between $200 and $500. A generic, producer queen costs between $15 and $20.

n Honeybees represent a highly organized society, with various bees having very specific roles during their lifetime. Some bees are nurses, guards, grocers, housekeepers, construction workers, royal attendants, undertakers, foragers and scouts.

n To make a pound of honey, honeybees must tap 2 million flowers.

– Source: Roy Cronkhite of the Maine State Beekeepers Association and its Web site