The higher northern and southern latitudes with their longer summer day time hours can be of considerable benefit for honey production.
In other areas significant honeyflows may only last two or three weeks per year from one or a limited number of nectar sources.
The rest of the year is spent in just maintenance – a situation where the incoming nectar and pollen nearly match the needed food for the hive, or where sufficient reserve stores must be present for the hive to survive a winter season.
Honeybees visit up to about 40 flowers per minute depending on floral type, nectar availability and weather conditions.
Floral visitation rate by honeybees of some important crops: The longer the time period, the greater the nectar availability.
There is general agreement that a single bee will do an average of 10 trips per day (range 7–13).
Large single loads of nectar may weigh 70 mg for Italian bees.