Workers do the work in the bee society. The figure below summarizes the phases of life of a worker bee. It is possible to identify a .rule of three,. such as three brood stages, three days as an egg, 2 X 3 days as larva, 3 X 4 days as pupa, three weeks as hive bees, three weeks as a field bee before death, etc. Workers generally start with hive duties like cleaning, feeding developing larva once hypopharyngeal glands develop, ripening of honey, secreting/molding of wax into combs (once wax glands are functional), followed by guarding and orientation flights. They become field bees after about three weeks and then literally work until their body wears out. Field foragers collect the necessary food (nectar/pollen) plus water to cool the hive and dilute honey and propolis to fight disease pathogens/improve the natural cavity.
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Source:
The above text is taken from The Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research & Extension Consortium, Basic Bee Biology for Beekeepers; Fact Sheet,MAAREC Publication 1.4 March 2004. You can download this factsheet and others at the MAAREC website
