Life Cycle of a Bee

Because bees are insects they have four stages to their life cycle. The Life Cycle of a Bee Because bees are insects they have four stages to their life cycle. The stages are, egg, larva, pupa and adult. The life cycle process is called metamorphosis, which means that the form of the bee changes from the larva to the adult. Passing through the immature stages takes 21 days for worker bees. On the first day, the queen bee lays a single egg in each cell of the comb. The egg generally hatches into a larva on the fourth day. The larva is a legless grub that resembles a tiny white sausage. The larva is fed a mixture of pollen and nectar called beebread. On the ninth day the cell is capped with wax and the larva transforms into the pupa. The pupa doesn't eat. On day 21, the new adult worker bee emerges.

Egg A queen lays soft white eggs in the comb Egg A queen lays soft white eggs in the comb. The egg stage takes place during days 1 through 3.

Larva In three days, the egg hatches into a larva Larva In three days, the egg hatches into a larva. Workers feed it bee milk and bee bread. It spins a cocoon around itself. The larva stage takes place during days 4 through 9.

Pupa In the cocoon, the larva turns into a pupa Pupa In the cocoon, the larva turns into a pupa. It now has eyes, wings, and legs. It looks more like a bee. This stage is during days 10 through 23, depending on the type of bee it will become.

Adult This is the final stage in a bee's complete metamorphosis Adult This is the final stage in a bee's complete metamorphosis. It is full grown. The bee chews its way out of the cell. It becomes an adult on days 16 through 24, depending on what type of bee it is.