There may be abnormal drones, but there are always so many 
more drones reared than can fulfill their mission that no fear need 
be felt that an insufficient supply of normal drones will occur. But 
one drone is needed to fertilize each queen, in which act he loses 
his life. 
Table showing the approximate time of development of honey 
bees in different stages of existence. 
| Eggs | Feeding | Transfor- Total | Adult Period 
period | mation per- 
aa mee iileae | Larva iod—Pupa 
Queen ........... | 3 days | 5 days | 8 days 16 days 3-4 years 
Worker ......... | 3 days | 6 days | 12 days 21 days 6 weeks in 
| | active season 
Drone .......... 3 days | 7 days 14 days 24 days | uncertain, 2 
S| | wks.-2 mos. 
Note:—Half-days are sometimes used in indicating the periods of development 
except for the egg. 
It is entirely possible that because of the food supply or temperature, the 
development may be accelerated or retarded. However, for the practical bee- 
keeper the figures given will prove reliable. 
BROOD 
During eight or nine months of the year in New Jersey, there 
are found in the combs of a normal colony young bees in all stages 
of development, from the newly deposited egg to the winged insect 
emerging from the cell. This is known as the brood and is called 
sealed or open brood, depending on whether or not the cell is capped. 
EGGS 
So far as outward appearance goes there ‘is nothing to distin- 
guish an egg which will produce a male from one which will bring 
forth a female. One can be assured, however, that an egg which has 
been deposited in a drone cell will bring forth a male and one in a 
queen cell may be depended upon to develop into a queen. Very 
rarely worker brood may be found in drone cells. 
When deposited in a worker or drone cell an egg projects in a 
horizontal position from the center of the base of the cell. As hatch- 
ing time approaches it leans over and rests for its full length on the 
cell base. 
The normal color of uncapped brood (larvae), whether drone 
or worker, is a bluish white. When not so colored it is probably 
diseased. This will be discussed later. 
The capping of brood has a porous appearance, and in reality 
it is sufficiently porous to admit the amount of air required by the 
15 
