Page 6 - My FlipBook

Brood are all the stages of the developing
bee—the egg, larvae, and pupae. From
egg to adult stages, the queen will B is for Brood
mature in 16 days, a female worker in
21, and a drone in 24. Nurse bees feed Egg, larvae, and pupae
the larvae about 1,000 times per day. are the stages of the brood.
They are given royal jelly (see letter R) The workers are responsible
for the first three days, and then for the
rest of their development they are fed for feeding them sweet food.
a nutritious mixture of honey and pollen
(pollen is a substance produced by
seed-bearing plants), which is called
bee bread. The queen larva is also fed
by the nurse bees, but her diet consists
only of royal jelly.

The hive’s temperature is controlled by
the bees. It is kept between 93—96°F
(about 35°C). If the hive gets too cold,
the bees form a warming cluster around
the brood, shivering their bodies to create
warmth. If it’s too hot, the bees fan their
wings to cool the hive. Heater bees have
a special purpose. They can increase their
body temperature up to 111°F (44°C),
nearly 10 degrees hotter than a normal
bee. This extra heat is specifically used
within the brood nest to maintain the
perfect temperatures for the developing
bee pupae.