HONEY BEES
Life of a Bee
Not all bees live the same lives, which also impacts how long they live. Queens, workers, and drones each have their own roles in the colony.
A colony can contain up to 30,000 to 60,000 bees and each have their very own job.
Life Span
Not only has the number of honey bees dwindled, the actual life span has decreased. According to New Scientist it was recently documented that bees in a controlled environment lived about 18 days. In the 1970's it was observed that they lived about 34 days. Shorter life span leads to shorter colony lives because a colony struggles to survive if there are not enough workers bees there will not be enough honey for the hive to survive the winter.
Queens
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Female
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Emergence from cocoon 16 days
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Has fully developed ovaries
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Can live up to 5 years, but usually pushed out by younger queens after 2-3 years
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Leaves the hive once to mate, spends rest of her life in the hive
Workers
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Female
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Emergence 21 days
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Typically cannot Reproduce
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Most Numerous
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Spring born usually live 6 weeks
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Fall born live through winter into summer
Drones
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Emergence 24 days
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Usually live up to 5 weeks
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Will die after mating 7-10 times due to the abdomen ripping open when the endophallus is removed
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If the male survives mating or has not yet mated, they will be kicked out of the hive come winter worker bees
Physical Characteristics
The Queen Bee has a longer and smooth abdomen, while the worker bee is shorter in length. Both have the ability to sting. The Drones are larger, plumper, bigger eyes, antennas, & do not have a stinger.
Bee Jobs
Each bee also has their own jobs throughout the colony.