Bees are the only insect that produce a food that humans consume and approximately one third of all the food we eat is dependent on honey bee pollination. A hive typically contains 50 to 60 thousand bees. Most honey bees are worker bees. Their work rate is truly amazing. They are able to fly at speeds of 20 m.p.h. and can carry 80% of their body weight in nectar or pollen.
While bees do not actually sleep, they do spend nights, motionless, conserving energy for the next day’s work. In summer they have lifespan of 6-8 weeks and in that time will fly 37,000 miles (that’s 1 ½ times around the world).
Each honey bee makes about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey over their short lifetime. To make one pound of honey, bees must carry 10 pounds of pollen to the hive flying 55,000 miles. Bee stings are painful, but more painful for the bee, as a honey bee will die after she stings. Bee venom is actually more lethal that cobra venom (ounce for ounce) but short of inducing a severe allergic reaction - it takes 19 stings per kg of body weight to be lethal. So, to kill a 75 kg man through purely venom effects he must be stung by over 1500 bees.