European honeybees (apis mellifera) live in hives. Each hive is a finely tuned machine, every buzzing inhabitant contributing to the survival of the whole. A thriving colony may reach 50,000 honeybees:
The Queen – The queen lives up to 5 years and can lay her weight in eggs every day – up to 2,000 daily. There is one queen per colony, easily recognized by her long narrow abdomen and short wings. She mates once in her life, in the air with as many as 30 suitors (sequentially), who die after donating their sperm.
