Royal jelly is a special food produced by worker bees to feed queen bee larvae and future queen larvae during the first three days of their lives. After the first three days, the future queen larvae switch to eating other foods. Royal jelly is also given as exclusive food to the queen bee for the rest of her life, and this is one of the important factors that makes her different from other worker bees.
All of these bees work together
in the colony to maintain the survival and growth of the colony. Each bee has
its unique role which is important for ensuring the success of the colony and
the reproduction of the entire colony. Worker bees are responsible for various
tasks such as finding food, caring for larvae, building nests, maintaining
cleanliness and protecting the nest from harm. The queen bee is responsible for
laying eggs and ensuring the continuity of the colony's reproduction, while the
male bees play a role in mating with the queen bee from another colony. With
good cooperation, bee colonies can survive and thrive.
Types of Bees
1. Worker
Bees
Worker bees are a type of female bee which is the
majority in a bee colony. They perform various tasks in the nest, such as
finding food, cleaning the nest, building the nest, caring for the larvae,
regulating the temperature of the nest, and keeping the nest safe. Some worker
bees are also responsible for producing royal jelly.
2. Queen
Bee (Queen Bee)
The queen bee is the only female bee that develops
into a full adult female. Its main task is to be responsible for the
reproduction of the colony. She is in charge of laying eggs and can produce
thousands of eggs every day. Its exclusive food is royal jelly which makes it
develop into a queen that is bigger and has better reproductive abilities
compared to other worker bees.
3. Male
Bees (Drone Bees)
Male bees are female bees that come from unfertilized
eggs. They play a role in mating with the queen bee. After mating, the male
bees usually die, and only a few of them make it back to the hive.
Work of Each Bee
1. Worker
Bees:
·
Searching for Food
Worker bees look for sources of nectar and pollen
from flowers to serve as food for the colony.
·
Caring for Larvae
Worker bees care for the larvae by feeding them
royal jelly, honey and pollen they have collected.
·
Nest Building
Worker bees build nests using wax produced by the
wax glands on their abdomens.
·
Temperature Setting
They regulate the temperature of the nest by
huddling together when it's cold and flapping their wings when it's too hot.
·
Cleaning the Nest
Clean and maintain the cleanliness of the nest to
keep the colony healthy.
·
Defending the Nest
Protect the nest from attacks by predators and bees
from other colonies.
2. Queen
Bee:
·
Lay eggs
The main task of the queen bee is to lay eggs to
multiply the colony.
·
Queen Bee Cell Selection
Queen bees select larval cells to become future
queens by feeding them exclusively royal jelly for the first three days of
their lives.
3. Male
Bee:
·
Marriage
Male bees play a role in mating with queen bees from
other colonies. After mating, they usually die.
·
Not Working in Nest
Male bees do not perform tasks like worker bees. They do
not collect food or do nest work.
The lifespan of bees can be
affected by factors such as environment, temperature, season, and level of
activity in the colony. The lifespan of each bee in the colony varies depending
on its role and the type of bee. The following is an estimate of the average
lifespan of each type of bee:
1. Worker
Bees
• Egg Age:
3 days
• Age of
Larvae: 6 days
• Pupal
Age: 12 days
• Mature
Lifespan: around 20-42 days (depending on occupation and season)
2. Queen
Bee (Queen Bee)
• Egg Age:
3 days
• Age of
Larvae: 5.5 days
• Pupal
Age: 7.5 days
• Age of
Adulthood: can live several years (up to 5 years) due to special food in the
form of royal jelly.
3. Male
Bees (Drone Bees)
• Egg Age:
3 days
• Age of
Larvae: 6.5 days
• Pupal
Age: 14 days
• Age of
Adulthood: generally live about 40-50 days, but many of them die after mating
with the queen bee. [20230804 – eg01/03]
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