The Life Cycle of Bees

Bees infest our lawns and homes in the summertime when the weather is warm. If you have anyone in your household with bee allergies, bee infestations can be unnerving and intimidating. What many people don’t realize is where bees come from and the life cycle of bees.

Bees have a few primary castes or roles, which are drones, workers, and queens. The life cycle of drones is a process of 24 days. Worker bees go through the same cycle in about three weeks, and queens complete their cycle in about 16 days.

So that you have a better understanding of their origin and breeding cycle, here is an overview of the life cycle of bees.

The Egg Stage of Bees

The life cycle of bees has several primary stages, starting with the egg stage. An adult queen lays an egg in each cell of the hive after each of the cells has been cleaned and prepped by the worker bees. The adult worker bees clean out each cell to make sure they are prepared for each individual egg to grow.

The Larva Stage of Bees

A few days after the queen lays an egg into a cell, the egg then hatches into a larva. The larvae are white in color. They actually look like small grubs while they are curled in each of their individual cells. Bees have the most intense and accelerated growth period during the larva stage. They actually had to shed their skin five times as they are growing the full-sized adult bee within them.

The Pupa Stage of Bees

When the larva becomes a pupa, you will notice that the body and limbs of the bee begin to take shape. This is when they begin to develop their wings, eyes, and legs.

The Adult Stage of Bees

When the pupa stage is complete, the bee becomes one of the three adult bee types mentioned above. From there, the bee goes to work, fulfilling its role of either laying eggs, raising them, or gathering food to raise the next generation.

If you know or suspect that you may have had an infestation, contact our pest control experts today or continue reading on our website to learn more.