Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
0
3
8
16
Days
Queen
0
3
8
21
Days
Worker
0
3
9½
24
Days
Drone
Egg Uncapped larva Capped larva
Fig. 2.
Bee development
Figure 2 shows this development and how long it takes. While it is important to
remember the timings of this development, which we look at in more detail in later
chapters of this topic, the following are some notes about what each type of bee does
after emerging:
Queen
: if climatic conditions permit, the queen will make a mating flight around
five or six days after emergence. She will start to lay eggs 36 hours or more after a
successful mating flight, usually more after three days.
Drones
: these are fed by workers until around seven days old. They remain in
the hive until approximately 12-13 days old (when they are sexually mature).
Thereafter, they undertake mating flights during the afternoons. They are removed
from the hive during the autumn or during times of dearth.
