Answer & explanation
The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.
Answer & explanation
Official answer
12
bees
How to estimate it
Fermi’s official “Napkin math”
Start with one hive, about 50,000 bees. How much honey does a beekeeper take from it in a year? Maybe 50 pounds, and a pound jar holds about 60 teaspoons.
- Bees in a hive
- ≈ 50,000
- 50 lb × 60 teaspoons a pound
- ≈ 3,000 tsp
- 50,000 ÷ 3,000
- ≈ 17 bees
Start with one hive, about 50,000 bees. How much honey does a beekeeper take from it in a year? Maybe 25 kilograms. Honey is heavier than water, so call a teaspoon 7 grams.
- Bees in a hive
- ≈ 50,000
- 25,000 g ÷ 7 g a teaspoon
- ≈ 3,500 tsp
- 50,000 ÷ 3,500
- ≈ 14 bees
Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.
Source calculation & reference
- Honey one worker bee makes in her life
- 1/12 teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon ÷ 1/12
- = 12
Reference cited by Fermi: National Honey Board · University of Missouri Extension · UF/IFAS Extension
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