Bee Facts
Big Lessons from Tiny Creatures
LEARNING FROM THE HIVE
Bees aren’t just fascinating. They’re essential. From how a hive works to the sweet process of making honey, Overflow Honey Co. loves sharing the wonder of bees with kids, families, and fellow beekeepers alike.
LIFE INSIDE THE HIVE
1.
Life in a hive may look busy from the outside, but inside it’s beautifully organized — with queens, drones, and workers each playing a vital role.
Honey bees live together in a colony called a hive.
A colony is made up of the queen bee (the mother of the hive), drones (the males), and worker bees (the females who do most of the work).
Without the queen, the colony cannot survive — her main job is to lay eggs, sometimes more than 1,000 in a single day.
Worker bees are assigned different tasks as they grow — cleaning the hive, caring for larvae, foraging for nectar and pollen, and preparing for winter.
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A HONEY BEE
2.
Like butterflies, honey bees go through four stages of growth — and each step is essential to the survival of the hive.
Honey bees develop in four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Eggs hatch into larvae within 3 days.
Larvae are fed and cared for by worker bees until they spin a cocoon and become pupae.
After several days, a fully formed bee emerges, ready to begin its role in the hive.
Development time varies between 16–24 days depending on the type of bee (queen, worker, or drone).
HOW BEES MAKE HONEY
3.
Honey doesn’t just appear in the comb — it’s the result of countless bees working together to collect nectar, share it, and transform it into something sweet.
Worker bees gather nectar from flowers using their long tongues.
Nectar is stored in a special honey stomach and carried back to the hive.
Bees share the nectar with others in the hive, who help process it.
Through evaporation and storage in wax cells, nectar thickens into honey.
It takes thousands of flowers and miles of flying to make just one teaspoon of honey.
AMAZING BEE FACTS
4.
From their five eyes to their famous “dance,” bees are full of surprising traits that make them some of the most fascinating creatures on earth.
Honey bees have 4 wings, 5 eyes, and 6 legs.
Their front legs help clean their antennae.
Their hind legs carry pollen in special “baskets” called pollen pants.
Bees breathe through tiny holes along their sides.
Bees communicate by releasing chemical scents called pheromones.
They also perform a “waggle dance” to show other bees where to find food.
WHY BEES MATTER
5.
Beyond honey, bees play a vital role in pollinating crops and flowers — making them one of the most important creatures for our food and our future.
Bees are essential pollinators for many fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
Without bees, many of our favorite foods would disappear.
By pollinating plants, bees help ecosystems stay balanced and thriving.
Protecting bees means protecting our food supply and the environment.
At Overflow Honey Co., the Yates family believes bees are one of God’s sweetest reminders that small things can make a big difference. From pollinating crops to producing honey, their work touches lives in countless ways. Overflow Honey Co. is committed to teaching others, from kids and families to seasoned beekeepers, about the importance of bees and how to care for them.
Faith, Family, and Bees Working Together for a Greater Purpose
WHY WE SHARE THE BUZZ