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Sex determination in bees

As is well known, the members of a bee colony consist of the queen, workers, and drones. The origin of these three types of individuals differs based on the following three factors:
  • Type of egg.
  • Type of food.
  • The cell (housing).

The Type of Egg Laid by the Queen Bee

In terms of egg type, the queen lays two types of eggs:
Fertilized eggs, which produce queens and workers.
Unfertilized eggs, which produce drones.

In terms of food type, fertilized eggs produce only workers and queens, as mentioned earlier. Workers can control the type of bee that emerges from the fertilized egg through the type of food they provide to the larvae during the larval stage. This is because workers are responsible for secreting and preparing food for the young ( royal jelly ) in the form of a liquid secreted from special glands in their heads. This food is rich in proteins, vitamins, and fats. They can also prepare another type of food known as bee bread, made from a mixture of honey and pollen. By controlling the type of food provided to the larvae, the type of bee that emerges differs as follows:

Types of Bee Larvae

  • Larvae that will become workers are fed royal jelly for three days and bee bread for two days.
  • Larvae that will become queens are fed royal jelly throughout the entire larval stage.
  • Larvae that will become drones are fed royal jelly for three days and bee bread for another three days.


As for the housing type (meaning the hexagonal cells where the eggs are laid and the brood is reared), the shape and size of the cell differ depending on the type of individual that will emerge, as follows:

  • Larvae that will become queens are raised in wax cups that develop into royal cells. The size of the fully formed royal cell resembles a peanut.
  • Eggs that will become workers are laid in small hexagonal cells, with approximately 25 cells per square inch.
  • Unfertilized eggs that will become drones are laid in larger hexagonal cells, with approximately 16 eggs per square inch.


For more information, refer to (The Life Cycle of Bee Colony Members).


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