Bee brood is called bee larvae. By their nature, these insects are considered very unusual creatures. At the same time, the subsequent fate of the brood is influenced by what a particular larva ate. Depending on this, one individual can become a drone or a queen bee. It is also possible to form worker bees that are directly involved in collecting honey.
What are bee larvae called?
The larvae are often called brood. There are also such concepts as worm and child. In fact, larvae are a kind of embryos of future insects.They emerge from the egg on the fourth day after laying.
The worm is rolled into a ring and eats royal jelly, which it receives from nurse bees. This product is considered truly unique. It contains many nutritional components. Therefore, already on the first day of life the larva increases in size by 10 times, and on the second day by 100.
Structure and stages of development
In their development, bees go through the following stages:
- The egg is laid by the queen bee. This stage lasts 3 days and is considered the same for all types of insects.
- Larva – stage takes 6 days. It is worth considering that for the first 3 days the larvae feed from nursing individuals. First they eat royal jelly, and then a composition based on honey and bee bread.
- Prepupa stage lasts 2 days for worker bees and queens and 4 days for drones.
- Pupa – the bees remain at this stage for 6 days. They then become adult insects.
The larvae have an extremely simple structure. Their distinctive features include:
- small head;
- white or light yellow color;
- worm-shaped body;
- thoracic and abdominal segments in the body;
- chitinous shell near the outer shell.
Larvae have the same internal organs as adults. However, they are considered not fully developed.
Uterus
This is the head of the bee colony, which is responsible for the appearance of new insects. In its development, the queen goes through the same stages as ordinary bees. The main difference is the formation of the larva not in a cell, but in a special bowl located on the frame.
Worker bees
They are considered the basis of a bee swarm. These insects are responsible for fully providing for the whole family. They are engaged in the creation and protection of housing, the procurement and preparation of food, and the cleaning of honeycombs.Despite solving many problems, worker bees are smaller than queens and drones. They weigh a maximum of 100 milligrams.
Drones
These are males who fertilize the uterus. Immediately after communicating with the queen bee, they die. This is due to the loss of part of the reproductive organ. Drones are born in the spring and continue their activity until the fall. The maturation of such individuals occurs 10-14 days after leaving the cell. In this case, drones live a maximum of 2.5 months.
Care
In order for a bee colony to develop normally, it needs a suitable microclimate. Bees are sensitive to any changes in conditions. To get a good result, you need to consider the following:
- The amount of carbon dioxide. Bees react to changes in the content of this substance with their thermal receptors. At the beginning of autumn and spring, the level of carbon dioxide in the center is 1.1%, and in the periphery - 0.6. With the onset of cold weather, the parameters change to 3 and 1%, respectively.
- Nutrition. The amount of feed should be 2-4 times the size of the egg. If there is a lack of food, the larva will die of starvation. After contact with royal jelly, the egg cracks and the body of the larva appears. If there is no food, the egg will dry out and not crack. This will lead to death.
- Temperature. At the initial stage of development, the larva is considered very vulnerable. It requires a certain ambient temperature. If its values are below normal for at least 15 minutes during 8-14 hours of development, an individual will emerge from the egg that has the characteristics of a bee and a drone.If the temperature deviates from the norm for a long time, there is a risk of insect death. The optimal temperature in the hive is +32-35 degrees.
- Humidity. There must be good air exchange in the hive. For this purpose, upper entrances and slots for ventilation are made in the hives. If there is not enough of it, condensation will form. This leads to the formation of mold. In addition, wood acquires a maximum moisture content of 30%. For the entire life of a bee colony, 30 liters of water are required. Water carriers make up to 100 flights every day and bring 30-50 milligrams at a time.
Application
Larvae are used not only to produce adult bees, which can collect nectar from plants. They are often used to strengthen the immune system. Such individuals do not contain toxic substances. Moreover, they include many useful components that are equal in usefulness to royal jelly.
The larvae contain many hormonal substances and enzymes. Therefore, they are distinguished by pronounced medicinal properties. With the help of such remedies, it is possible to eliminate lesions of the thyroid gland, normalize body tone, restore potency in men and improve the functioning of the reproductive organs in women.
All queen larvae consume exclusively natural products and sugar syrup. Therefore, they have the following types of effects on the body:
- reduce cholesterol levels in the blood;
- normalize blood pressure;
- restore the circulatory system;
- increase sexual desire.
