Duties of Bees
Have you ever wondered what the honey bee gets up to when it's in the hive? Did you know that a bee is allocated a job depending on its age? Here are the jobs they are allocated:
Days Old (approx) |
Role | Duties |
1-2 | Housekeeper | - Cleans cells, starting with the one it was born in - Caps cells - Keeps the brood warm |
3-5 | Nurse | - Feeds older larvae with honey and pollen - Attends to the queen |
6-11 | Nurse | - Feeds the youngest larvae with royal jelly - Attends to the queen |
12-17 | Hive Builder & Food Management | - Receives and stores food - Ripens honey - Performs undertaker duties - Produces wax, read how bees make beeswax - Builds comb |
18-21 | Guard | - Protects the hive entrance - Ventilates the hive - Takes exercise and orientation flights to learn to fly and locate the hive |
22-onwards | Forager | - Flys from the hive collecting pollen, nectar, propolis and water, pollinates plants, etc. |
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