Honey Bee Eggs
They may be tiny but honey bee eggs represent the very beginning of life for every bee in the hive. They are a vital part of colony growth and survival. Each bee egg has the potential to develop into a vital member of the colony – worker, drone or queen. In this article, you will learn more about where these eggs come from and how they play an important role in bee society.
To be a successful beekeeper, you need to understand each step of the honey bee life cycle. During the warm season, new generations of bees are needed to support your colony or survival is at risk.
What are Honey Bee Eggs?
Honey bee eggs are tiny, slender, white objects measuring just about 1 to 1.5 millimeters long. They look like small pieces of rice or a short piece of white thread. Because they are so small, learning how to find bee eggs in the hive is difficult task for new beekeepers.
In a normal situation, the queen bee fulfills her role as egg layer. She lays one egg in each prepared wax cell of comb.
At first, the egg stand up straight in the cell – anchored by a sticky substance. Over the next few days, the egg gradually lays over until it is flat in the cell. This helps the beekeeper judge the age of the egg.
Only a mature, mated queen can lay fertilized eggs that will develop into females: worker bees or even a queen. Unfertilized eggs will become male bees – drones.
The number and placement of eggs in the comb (often referred to as the brood pattern) reflects the condition of the colony, including queen performance and seasonal activity.
How the Queen Lays Eggs
The queen bee is the mother of all the bees in the colony. After completing mating flights early in her adult life, she is ready to work. A healthy queen bee is capable of laying over 1,000 eggs a day during the warm season.
The queen moves across the comb inspecting each cell. When she finds a suitable, clean cell – she lowers her abdomen into it to deposit a single egg.
This is the moment when the queen decides whether to fertilize the egg as it leaves her body – or not. The size of the wax cell plays a role in her decision. Drones (males) need to develop in slightly larger cells.
But, the queen will not lay in cells that have not been prepared and cleaned by workers. So ultimately, the queen is not in control.
Fertilized Eggs vs Unfertilized
Not all honey bee eggs are the same. The queen bee lays two types of eggs—fertilized and unfertilized—and the difference between the two determines what kind of bee the egg will become.
During her early mating flights, the queen stores sperm from many drones inside her body. A special structure in her abdomen (the spermatheca) keeps the sperm alive until needed.
In order to lay fertilized eggs, the queen releases some sperm as the egg passes through her body. These eggs will become female bees: either workers or sometimes new queens.
When an egg is laid without sperm – it is unfertilized and will become a drone or male honey bee.
The queen makes the decision of whether to fertilize an egg or not. The primary factors include the size of the wax cell and the needs of the colony.
Egg to Larva
For all bees in the hive, the egg stage lasts for about the same time – about 3 days. Lacking a true shell (as we know it) the surface of the bee egg is covered by a membrane called a chorion.
This outer covering dissolves after about 3 days and now we have a new bee larva. The timeline from egg to adulthood varies: queen bees reach adulthood in 16 days, workers – 21 days, and drones require 24 days to mature.
The egg stage is very short. But, it marks the of a bee’s transformation—and it’s a critical moment in the continuous cycle of life within the hive.
Role of Bee Eggs in the Colony
Honey bee eggs in the hive are about much more than just basic bee reproduction. They are a strong indicator of colony strength and health.
A consistent supply of freshly laid eggs means the queen is active, healthy, and doing her job. For beekeepers and bees alike, this is a reassuring sign that the colony is functioning as it should.
This is why beekeepers should always pay close attention to what is happening in the egg-laying section of the hive.
Interesting Facts
- eggs stand up in the cell until ready to hatch – at about 3 days old
- queen bees typically slow down in egg laying as they age
- drone eggs are usually laid in larger cells than female eggs
- eggs are laid in clean cells that worker bees have prepared
FAQs
Honey bee eggs are tiny objects that look like small pieces of thread or small grains of white rice.
No, worker bees can lay eggs but only unfertilized eggs. They can not mate and produce fertilized eggs that become female workers or queens.
On average, honey bee eggs hatch into larvae within around 3 days. From this point, nurse bees feed and tend to the growing young.
The outer layer of a bee egg does not crack like a hen egg. Instead it dissolves releasing the tiny larva inside.
Honey bee eggs cannot survive without the care and attention of workers. They regulate the humidity and temperature in the brood nest and provide food the new larvae.
Yes, beekeepers often transfer honey bee eggs from one hive to another. This is generally done by moving a whole frame of comb cells with eggs. Moving individual bee eggs is a delicate process.
Final Thoughts
From a beekeeper’s point of view, the presence of eggs is one of the most important indicators of colony health. White, healthy honey bee eggs are a fundamental part of the colony and are essential to the success and survival of the hive.