Jerry writes:
On average, a pound of bees consists of about 4500 to 5000 bees ... a
fresh bee (just captured) weighs about .1 gm. The average weight per
bee on a dry weight basis was about 38 mg.
This agrees with my source, for an average. They put the minimum
average per bee at 103 mg. They state that 5000 would be based on a
bee with an empty honey sac, such as a departing forager.
The number I gave was the average maximum weight (168 mg per bee).
Bees swarming or being removed from a wall would no doubt fill up on
honey and weigh more than the average.
--
Peter L Borst
Danby, NY USA
42.35, -76.50
http://picasaweb.google.com/peterlborst
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