Once the queen bee has successfully mated, the colony enters a relatively stable and efficient phase of reproduction, as follows:
- Egg Laying Begins: After successful mating, the queen will start laying eggs within 1 to 3 days. She will search for suitable cells on the brood comb to lay her eggs.
- Egg Incubation: The eggs laid by the queen take about 3 days to hatch into larvae. During this time, worker bees will closely care for these eggs, maintaining the appropriate temperature and humidity.
- Larval Development: After hatching, the larvae are fed a mixture of royal jelly and pollen by worker bees. The larvae develop in their cells, and after about 6 days, they enter the pupal stage.
- Pupal Stage: Once the larvae become pupae, the cells are sealed, and the pupae continue to develop inside. This stage lasts about 12 days for worker bees, but longer for drones and queens, typically 14 to 21 days.
- Emergence of Adult Bees: After the pupae are fully developed, adult bees emerge from their cocoons. Worker bees assist in cleaning the cells and prepare to welcome new larvae.
- Colony Growth: As the queen continues to lay eggs, the size of the colony gradually increases. During spring and summer, this is the fastest period of colony growth.
- Natural Swarming: When the colony reaches a certain size, to maintain the stability and health of the population, the colony may undergo natural swarming, where a portion of the bees and the old queen will leave the original nest to find a new location to establish a new colony.
- Cyclical Nature: The entire reproductive cycle is cyclical, with the speed and intensity of the colony’s reproduction varying with the seasons. In winter, the queen’s egg-laying rate slows down, and the colony enters a state of dormancy to reduce energy consumption.
The queen’s lifespan typically lasts 2 to 3 years, but throughout her life, she can lay hundreds of thousands to millions of eggs. Through continuous egg-laying and the hatching of new bees, the colony continues to thrive and develop.
