I saw this bee during a swarm collection on Mercer Island and had to get a photo of it.  One bee can generate 8 wax flakes per day, and it takes 1,000,000 wax flakes to make a frame of comb.

I found this presentation very interesting, and confirmed much that I have seen and heard tidbits about.  Although I am not ready to try Suzumebachi yet.

This is a lecture given by Prof. Steve Martin at the 2014 National Honey Show entitled “Basic Life Cycles of Wasps and Hornets”.