UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1222 
Washington, D. C. 
March 14, 1924 
GROWTH AND FEEDING OF HONEYBEE LARVAE. 
By James A. Nelson, Formerly Expert in Apiculture. Arnold P. Sturtevant, 
Apicultural Assistant, and Bruce Linebitrg, Formerly Assistant in Be< 
keeping. Bureau of Entomology. 
Part I. The rate of growth of the honeybee larva (James A. Nelson and 
Arnold P. Sturtevant) 
Part II. The feeding of honeybee larvae (Bruce Lineburg) i__ 
'age 
1 
25 
PART I. THE RATE OF GROWTH OF THE HONEYBEE 
LARVA 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
Methods, Lots 1 to 7 2 
Observations, Lots 1 to 7 2 
Weight of eggs 2 
Rate of growth of larvae 3 
Variations in rate of growth 6 
Length of the larval period 6 
Effects of underfeeding 7 
Methods, Lot 8 8 
Observations, Lot 8 9 
Effect of no honey-flow 9 
Effect of stimulation 9 
Nature and composition of brood 
food 11 
Page. 
Time of change in composition of 
brood food 12 
Rate of growth 13 
Correlation of food with the rate 
of growth 14 
Correlation with time spent in 
nursing 16 
General appearance of larva? of dif- 
ferent ages 16 
Summary and conclusions IS 
Tables 1 to 4 20 
Literature cited 24 
INTRODUCTION. 
Notwithstanding the abundant literature on the adult honeybee, 
there is a relatively small amount of exact information concerning 
the life history of the larva, particularly with regard to the ex- 
traordinary rate of development and the factors influencing this 
growth. Straus (9) ,* in connection with a study of the chemical 
composition of honeybee larvae at different ages, gives a series of 
careful weighings of larvae at successive age periods 24 hours apart. 
Reference is made by number (italic) to " Literature cited," p. 24. 
69525°— 24 1 
