top of page

Mating and reproduction information

What is the gestational period of the animal?

Development from egg to emerging bee varies among queens, workers, and drones. Queens emerge from their cells in 15–16 days, workers in 21 days, and drones in 24 days. Only one queen is usually present in a hive.

How many offspring does it typically have at a time?

A queen is capable of laying up to 2,000 honey bee eggs within a single day.

How long do the offspring live with the parent?

The development of each member of a colony differs depending on caste: male honey bees need 24 days for proper growth from eggs to adult, while workers need 21 days and queens require only 16. During these period, bees live in the same hive with their parent (the queen).

bottom of page