![]() ![]() We can only give an average bee lifespan for any insect ( bees or wasp) because of the many variables involved. Their adult lifespan is only a few weeks. The males have only one mission in life – to mate. They have some of the shortest life spans ranging from a few weeks to a few months.įemales work alone to build a nest and rear young. The majority of bees in the world are solitary bees (Mason bees, digger bees, sweat bees etc.). Those that survive until cold weather will perish then. Like the honey bee drones, male Bumbles die after mating. In late Summer, the queen lays eggs that produce drones and new queens. Most worker Bumble bees live from 2 weeks to a couple of months.Ī queen Bumble bee can live for several years if conditions are good. Once these “worker” bumbles mature, they take over many colony activities leaving the queen to lay eggs. After finding a good nest site, she lays a few eggs and cares for them. The Bumble bee family begins in the Spring when mated queens emerge from hibernation. This means that only some individuals will have a life that “spans” over Winter. However, the Bumble Bee colony does not over-winter as a group. And, you will see overlapping generations due to many brood cycles during the warm season. Like the honey bee, the labor or tasks of the colony are divided among individual castes. Though similar to honey bees, the bumble bee lifespan has some major differences. The colony does not want to feed them over the Winter.Īnother very popular member of the insect world is the Bumble Bee. They are thrown out of the hive and left to die. If a drone does not mate with a queen, he will live several months during the warm season.Īlas once Fall arrives, the easy life of the drone is over. The successful drone falls to the ground and shortly dies after mating. When a drone mates with a queen, his reproductive organs are ripped from his body. Mating takes place outside and well away from the hive in areas called “ drone congregation areas“. ![]() On warm afternoons they go out to look for virgin queens. Their sole purpose is to mate with virgin queens.ĭrones do no other work. Drones are essential for honey bee reproduction. Winter workers can live up to 6 months! Drones – (Male Bees) Have Shorter Livesĭrone beesare the males in the honey bee family. These fat Winter bees spend the cold months inside the hive. ![]() They contain larger fat bodies inside their abdomen. Fall bees are physiologically different than Summer workers. Interestingly, workers that are “born” in the Fall have a different life span. Workers literally work themselves to death. During the last 3 weeks, the worker becomes a forager gathering food.įlying long distances to collect resources needed by the colony takes a toll on her wings. The first 3 weeks are spent on tasks inside the hive. How long do worker bees live? After emerging from her cell, a worker lives about 6 weeks-during the Summer. Unfortunately for these hard-working ladies, all this work takes a toll on their bodies. They are the workforce of the colony and have the most responsibilities.įrom collecting pollen and nectar, to serving as nurse bees (in charge of feeding larva) and defending the hive, a worker’s job is never done. These non-reproductive females develop from fertilized eggs. Most of the members of a colony are worker bees. How long a honey bee lives depends on several variables but the most important is it’s role in the hive. All members of the colony go through this development process. A fully developed adult will emerge when mature. After 3 days, this egg becomes a larva and is fed by young adult nurse bees.Īt the proper time, the cell is capped and the larva transforms into a pupa. This is called complete metamorphosis.Ī bee’s life begins with the queen laying an egg. However, the individual bees inside the hive will not live that long.Īll honey bees pass through a life cycle consisting of 3 stages of development. With good health and a bit of luck, a colony can continue for years. Of course, I must start with my favorite and one of the most well-known insects on the planet! Honey bees are social insects that live in large colonies. Whether they are social insects that live together in families or solitary individuals that raise a family alone, each have different lifespans. Within bee species (honeybees, bumblebees, solitary bees, etc) you will find many differences. ![]()
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