Video: 80,000 Honeybees Find Home at Groton Farm

Eight hives of Italian honey bees were moved to the Groton Family Farm by a bee keeper on May 16, a new arrangement between farm Owner Warren Burrows and a bee keeper from Hanover.

Each hive holds about 10,000 bees, but at the height of the season in six to eight weeks, the population will grow to 60,000 to 80,000 bees per hive, said Stuart Woronecki, owner of Stonewall Apiary.

Bees can travel up to five miles, but typically won’t go far if there’s an abundance of nectar and pollen nearby, Woronecki said. He said he chose Italian honey bees because they're busy honey producers but gentle.

“This year, because the hives are new, they probably won’t produce very much - maybe 30 to 50 pounds of honey each,” Woronecki said. Next year, each hive should make 50 to 80 pounds of honey, he said.

The most common size of a jar of honey is about one pound.

Bees are known to boost crop production, so Burrows said he jumped at the chance to take in the hives. He said he has not been stung and probably won't be.