Honey bee eggs in the brood nest

When first laid the eggs are about 1.6 mm and a pearly translucent white. Hatching takes place three days after egg laying.

The larval stage lasts eight to nine days. Upon hatching, the larva is almost microscopic, resembling a small, white, curved, segmented worm lacking legs and eyes. For the first two days, all larvae are fed a diet of royal jelly. Beginning the third day, worker larvae are fed honey, pollen and water, while the larvae destined to become queens continue to receive royal jelly throughout their larval lives. Regardless of whether the larva is male or female, it molts five times during its larval stage (Jean-Prost, 1994).