Bee Colony Calculator
Planning a beekeeping operation or managing existing hives? Our bee colony calculator helps you determine hive requirements, estimate honey production, and calculate the resources needed for successful beekeeping. Whether you're a hobbyist with a few hives or planning a larger apiary, this tool provides essential estimates for colony size, honey yield, frames needed, and foraging area based on your specific conditions and flowering season length.
- Total Bees: Number of Hives × Bees per Hive
- Frames Needed: Number of Hives × 20 frames (2 deep boxes per hive)
- Honey Production: Base Production (45 lbs) × (Flowering Season / 6 months) × Number of Hives
- Harvestable Honey: (Honey per Hive - 60 lbs needed for winter) × Number of Hives
- Beeswax Production: 1.5 lbs per hive × (Flowering Season / 6 months) × Number of Hives
- Foraging Area: Number of Hives × 2.5 square miles
- Total Bees: 5 × 40,000 = 200,000 bees
- Frames Needed: 5 × 20 = 100 frames
- Honey Production: 45 × (6/6) × 5 = 225 lbs per year
- Harvestable Honey: (45 - 60) × 5 = 0 lbs (bees need more than they produce in this scenario)
- Beeswax: 1.5 × (6/6) × 5 = 7.5 lbs per year
- Foraging Area: 5 × 2.5 = 12.5 square miles
Note: In shorter seasons or less productive conditions, bees may produce less than they need for winter, requiring supplemental feeding.
How many bees are in a typical hive?
A healthy hive typically contains 40,000-60,000 bees during peak season (spring/summer). In winter, the population drops to 20,000-30,000 bees. The population includes one queen bee, hundreds of male drones, and tens of thousands of female worker bees. New colonies start with 10,000-15,000 bees and grow over their first year.
How much honey does one hive produce per year?
One hive can produce 30-60 pounds of honey per year in optimal conditions, with the average being around 45 pounds. However, bees need 60 pounds of honey to survive winter, so beekeepers can only harvest the surplus. Production depends on flowering season length, weather, forage availability, hive health, and bee genetics. Some exceptional hives in ideal conditions can produce 100+ pounds annually.
How many frames do I need per hive?
A standard Langstroth hive uses 10 frames per box. Most beekeepers use 2 deep boxes (20 frames total) for the brood chamber, plus additional medium or shallow boxes (honey supers) with 8-10 frames each for honey storage. For a complete hive setup, plan for 30-40 frames total, including supers. Frames hold the beeswax comb where bees store honey and raise brood.
🔗 Related Calculators
📐 Formula
- Total Bees: Number of Hives × Bees per Hive
- Frames Needed: Number of Hives × 20 frames (2 deep boxes per hive)
- Honey Production: Base Production (45 lbs) × (Flowering Season / 6 months) × Number of Hives
- Harvestable Honey: (Honey per Hive - 60 lbs needed for winter) × Number of Hives
- Beeswax Production: 1.5 lbs per hive × (Flowering Season / 6 months) × Number of Hives
- Foraging Area: Number of Hives × 2.5 square miles
📝 Example Calculation
- Total Bees: 5 × 40,000 = 200,000 bees
- Frames Needed: 5 × 20 = 100 frames
- Honey Production: 45 × (6/6) × 5 = 225 lbs per year
- Harvestable Honey: (45 - 60) × 5 = 0 lbs (bees need more than they produce in this scenario)
- Beeswax: 1.5 × (6/6) × 5 = 7.5 lbs per year
- Foraging Area: 5 × 2.5 = 12.5 square miles
Note: In shorter seasons or less productive conditions, bees may produce less than they need for winter, requiring supplemental feeding.