Queen University Prerequisite

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Honey bee biology

The life cycle of the honey bee

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Egg: A queen bee lays eggs in cells of the hive.

Larva: Within 3 days. the egg hatches into a tiny larva, resembling a small worm.

Pupa: The larva is capped in its cell and undergoes metamorphosis inside a cocoon.

Adult Bee: After about 21 days, the pupa emerges as an adult bee.

Roles: Depending on age and needs of the colony, the bee takes on various roles like cleaning, nursing, guarding, foraging, or reproduction.

Honey bee workers are capped in their cell for approximately 12 days before emerging as adults.
Honey bee drones are capped in their cells for about 14 to 16 days before they emerge as adults.

Source: Review on mathematical modeling of honeybee population dynamics – Scientific Figure on Research Gate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-life-cycle-of-an-worker-bee_fig1_355920069 [accessed 14 Mar, 2024]