Life Cycle of a Honey Bee​
A honey bee's life cycle consists of just four main stages:
egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
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Egg: The queen bee lays eggs, which hatch into larvae after about three days.
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Larva: The larvae are then fed by worker bees & undergo further development.
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Pupa: After about six days, the larvae spin a cocoon & enter the pupal stage.
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Adult: Following metamorphosis, the bee will emerges as an adult & joins the colony
Why do bees swarm?
Honey bee swarming is a fascinating natural phenomenon that occurs when a colony of bees divides itself into two or more groups. Here are the main reasons why honey bees swarm:
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Hive Overcrowding: As the population of a honey bee colony grows, the available space within the hive becomes limited. Bees need enough space to store honey, raise brood, and carry out their daily activities. When the hive becomes too crowded, the bees start preparing for swarming.
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Production of Queen Cells: Queen bees are crucial to the survival of a colony, as they lay eggs and ensure the continuity of the hive. However, when the colony becomes overcrowded, the workers start building special queen cells. These queen cells are larger than regular worker cells and are used to raise new queens. Once the new queens are ready to emerge, the old queen, along with a large group of worker bees, leaves the hive in search of a new location. This departure of the queen and the workers is what forms the swarm.
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Honeybees are important pollinators for flowers, fruits, vegetables and crop production.
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Bees live on stored honey and pollen through the winter and cluster together a ball to keep warm.
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In the hive bee's are generally divided into three types: queen, worker (female), and drone (male).
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To make one pound of honey, honey bees must gather nectar from nearly 2 million flowers.
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Nectar and pollen are not the same; pollen is protein, while nectar is a carbohydrate
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