Beekeeper's life a hive of activity

[Photo by Ju Chuanjiang/China Daily]

"Every hive needs a queen bee. Worker bees work as servants for the queen bee," Chen explains. "The queen bee is responsible for enriching their family members. A productive queen bee can lay about 2,000 eggs in 24 hours and has an average lifespan of between three to five years."

What Chen admires most is the worker bee, whose lifespan is around 40 days, though some may live for several months in winter.

Chen spends three months a year in Shandong, owing to the province's vast variety of flowers.

"Honey made here can be sold for 16 yuan ($2.6) for 500g," Chen says, smile on his tanned face.

"In addition, bees help pollinate the plants," Chen adds, explaining that beekeeping not only benefits beekeepers but the overall agricultural industry.

According to the Agriculture Ministry, the financial benefit that the bee-driven pollination provides to the agricultural industry is worth nearly 110 times what honey-related products actually make.

Chen and Zhao say the only downside to their work is the long periods away from their children.

Zhao Ransong says she is looking forward to their 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter's summer break, when the children will meet them in Shandong.