The Lifecycle of a Honeybee: An In-Depth Look at These Wondrous Creatures.
In this article we look at the lifecycle of this humble yet ever so important creature, the honeybee. From egg to full grown adult, and how they contribute to their colony. As little as they be, (pardon the pun.) They play a very important role in the ecology of the planet as well as their contributions to our own food chain. This article explores their remarkable lifecycle and how as pollinators, bees are largely responsible for the wellbeing and growth of plants, faune, fruits and vegetable that not only sustains the human population of the planet but other life as well. We will also cover their roles within (and outside of) the hive as well as their caste. Read on and “BEE” prepared to “BEE” impressed!
The Honeybee Society: Three Castes and Their Roles Within The Colony.
We begin our journey into the lifecycle of the honeybee by taking a look at their caste system: Honeybee colonies consist of three adult castes, these are: Egg-laying queens, sperm-producing drones as well as the non-productive female workers. Within the hive each caste has a specific role and function for the overall smooth running of the colony.Queen Bees.
As the only fertile female within the colony, the queen is responsible for laying eggs as well as producing the next generation of bees. A fertile queen can lay as much as 2000 eggs daily, this ensures a constant supply of new worker bees and drones.
As the only fertile female within the colony, the queen is responsible for laying eggs as well as producing the next generation of bees. A fertile queen can lay as much as 2000 eggs daily, this ensures a constant supply of new worker bees and drones.
Drone Bees.
Drones pertain to the male bees, whose only purpose is to mate with the queen, this happens during seasonal mating flights and although their carnal pleasure is short-lived as they die soon after fulfilling their ‘productive duties.’
Drones pertain to the male bees, whose only purpose is to mate with the queen, this happens during seasonal mating flights and although their carnal pleasure is short-lived as they die soon after fulfilling their ‘productive duties.’
Worker Bees.
The worker bees are the backbone of the society, they are essentially all female, and they have a varied life, performing essential tasks for the wellbeing and upkeep of the colony. This include foraging for food, construction, and maintenance of the hive, playing nanny and nursemaid to the larvae as well as being ferocious warriors when it comes to the defence of the hive, keeping unwanted intruders at bay.
The worker bees are the backbone of the society, they are essentially all female, and they have a varied life, performing essential tasks for the wellbeing and upkeep of the colony. This include foraging for food, construction, and maintenance of the hive, playing nanny and nursemaid to the larvae as well as being ferocious warriors when it comes to the defence of the hive, keeping unwanted intruders at bay.
By gaining a better understanding of these three castes of honeybees is vital to gaining a better overview of the lifecycle of a honeybee and how these vital roles interact with each other within the colony.
The Beginnings of Life: The Honeybee Egg.
The start of the honeybee lifecycle is when the queen lays an egg. They are tiny oval-shaped white eggs, of which the queen very carefully places in the individual combs (or cells) within the hive structure. After 72 hours these eggs then emerge into larvae.
Choosing the Sex and Caste of a Honeybee.
We covered the three castes earlier in the article, and the queen plays a very important role in the sex and which caste each bee will be. Unfertilised eggs will become male drones, whilst the fertilised eggs become either female workers or queens. The final decision lies with the queen as whether to fertilise the egg using the stored sperm from her mating flight, or not to fertilise the egg. What is important to note, is that the female larvae can develop into either workers or queens based on their diet, this is determined by the nursery bees, (the bees whose role it is to take care of the larvae, also known as nurse bees.) In the beginning, all the larvae are taken care of with a diet of royal jelly, this nutrient-rich substance is secreted by the nurse bees. After three days, the worker and the drone larvae are then switched to a diet of pollen and nectar, where queen larvae are continued to be fed the royal jelly thus enabling them to fully develop into fertile adult bees (IE queen bees.).
Stages of Development: Larvae – Pupae – Adults.
After hatching the larvae then undergo some astoundingly rapid growth. They shed their skins as they get bigger. The total time for this development does vary depending on the different caste, an approximate guide is that queens remain in the larval stage for five and a half days, whilst workers it is six days, and the longest larval stage is the drones which lasts approximately six and a half days.
From Pupae To The Capping of Cells.
Once the end of the larval stage has been reached, worker bees then engage in the capping of the cells that contain the larvae with wax (beeswax), this is the signal for the transition from larvae to pupal stage. During these early stages, the bees are developing recognisable adult features, very similar to how a human baby develops but a lot quicker. And when we refer to features, we mean their eyes, legs, wings, and their body hairs. As with the egg stage, the pupal stage differs among the castes, where queens tend to remain in the pupal stage for approximately eight days, whilst workers have a pupal stage of approximately twelve days, and the drones who have the longest pupal stage is just approximately fourteen and a half days. Once the bees have gone through their changes and are ready to emerge, they then chew their way out of the capped cells, and ready to take on their assigned roles within the colony.
Time To Pay The Rent: Adult Stages, Their Roles, and Responsibilities.
Once the honeybee has reached adulthood, its life is then characterised by its roles and responsibilities within the community and specifically its caste, as this determines which tasks as well as its behaviours in the colony.
The Queen Bee: Lifeblood and Heart of the Colony.
A true royal, the queen bee reigns over the colony as ruler and mother. She is responsible for producing and laying eggs, as well as producing and secreting pheromones, a chemical that is responsible for the harmony and cohesion of the hive. A single queen bee can lay as much as 2000 eggs daily. This extraordinary reproductive feat ensures that there is always a constant supply of new bees to the hive. As well as harmony and cohesion, the pheromones she releases also acts as a birth control by stunting the development of the ovaries in her female worker bees to prevent them from laying eggs and competing with her royal highness. Of all the bee castes, the queen bee has the longest lifespan, and can live up to five years, a monumental age in the bee world. However, with age, comes decline and should the productively decrease too much, this will prompt the colony to raise a new queen to dethrone her.
The Worker Bees: The Relentless Workforce and Backbone of The Hive.
These industrious little insects, the worker bees are made up of the infertile female bees, their tireless actions and labours ensure that the hive run smoothly, and they perform a variety of tasks, take on numerous roles all for the benefit of the hive. Their roles are determined by their age, and these include:
Nurse Bees (or Nursery Bees).
They are responsible for the wellbeing of the larvae and produce the sustenance they need, such as royal Jelly for queen bee larvae and for the drone and worker larvae a mixture of nectar and pollen.
House Bees.
These more mature bees carry out maintenance on the hive by building and repairing damaged cells, keeping the hive clear of debris as well as ventilating the hive.
Foraging Bees.
These are the oldest of the bees, and their job is to leave the hive to collect various materials and substances such as nectar, pollen, water as well as propolis, which is a resinous substance that is used for sealing any gaps within the hive structure.
How long the worker bees live is influenced by the time of year. For instance, Summer worker bees can live for around a mere six weeks, where they literally work themselves to death through exhaustion. This is a stark contrast to the Winter bees, born in late autumn or early winter who can live up to sixteen to twenty-one weeks (4-5 months), as they have a different role of that of helping the queen survive through the colder months.
Drone Bees.
The drone bees are the males and with the shortest lifespan of all the bee castes. Their primary purpose (and only one) is to mate with the queen where upon success they shortly die afterwards. However, if a male drone bee fails to mate, its lifespan is typically five to seven weeks. Unfortunately for the male drone bees born in the very late summer months, they will find themselves being evicted from the hive by the worker bees due to their drain on resources. This harsh sentence ensures the survival of the colony during the months that resources are scarce, and the hive cannot afford to support those who are not contributing to its wellbeing and overall success.
Continuing the Lifecycle: Swarming and Reproduction of Bees.
To ensure the continuance of the hive, it is vital that the reproduction process occurs, this is through an activity known as swarming. Swarming takes place in and around Spring and Summer when the hives resources are at an all-time high, and are in abundance, and the colony is of a greater number. Usually, a new swarm begins when the colony has raised anywhere between ten and twenty new daughter queen bees. As these daughter queen bees reach the stages of maturity, the existing queen bee will vacate the hive and take with her up to two thirds of the adult worker bees in search of a location where to set up a new hive and colony. The daughter queen bees who remain behind will then, in a fight for survival vie for dominance, where the overall victor will become the new queen bee. Once established she will then embark on her nuptial flight and will mate with several of the drones from other colonies, and will store them sperm within her spermatheca, (a receptacle in her reproductive tract solely for this purpose.) Once her mating flight has come to completion, she then returns to the hive to begin the arduous task of egg-laying, to one continue the lifecycle and ongoing success of the hive and colony.
How Bees Contribute to The Planet. The Conclusion.
We have now covered this wonderful and complex lifecycle of the honeybee, how, from humble beginnings as an egg, to being born into a social structure that is all though sometimes cruel, is very efficient, as well as how each caste member plays a crucial role in success of the hive and colony and through their actions supports a much larger ecosystem through pollination of plants and fauna, it is important to also understand how they contribute further to our very own existence and why protecting these wonderous creatures are not only in our own interests but also that of the planets.
Bees are Responsible for One Third of Our Food.
Bees are responsible for a third of the earth’s food production, without their pollination, crops would not grow, they are essential in helping feed the human population as well as keeping our ecosystem ticking. One of the more direct food sources they are responsible for is honey. An amazing foodstuff. In fact, natural honey (if stored properly) is the only nourishment that never goes off, this is due to the antiseptic qualities within. It is also packed with numerous health benefits, such as its antioxidant properties, support for respiratory health and more, in fact there has been hundreds of studies carried out all supporting honey as an amazing health-beneficial food.
