Server spawns SMTP and POP processes

The Domino Server has 3 mail.box files. It might be hanging up and not delivering mail for 24 hours cycles. Then is ok for a few days and will do it again. The only unusual thing I have found is that there are many SMTP and POP processes spawned on the server task list. When I restart the task, 2 SMTP and 2 POP tasks run… I think this is normal. Any ideas why so many of these tasks would spawn, and if so, would it cause outgoing mail to hang up?