How bees produce Royal Jelly

Royal Jelly can be defined as a noble or precious food of bees. Its production is very complex and it would not be possible to obtain any similar compound in nature.

Bees produce royal jelly to feed the larvae that will develop into adults but above all for the growth of the queen bee . Let's analyze the topic better.

How royal jelly is made

Royal jelly is a mix of different substances. In fact, bees transform honey and pollen, mixing it with their saliva. What comes out is a gelatinous substance, very rich in important nutritional properties . The hypopharyngeal glands and the maxillary glands of bees are able to transform the raw materials collected and obtain the compound. In fact, baby food is formed thanks to the secretions of these particular glands and constitutes a truly sought-after substance.

The task of producing royal jelly is up to the nurse bees that are between 5 and 15 days old. It is therefore the youngest bees who are responsible for processing this precious food.

As regards the chemical composition of royal jelly, it is not fixed but varies according to the age of the larvae for which it is produced. In fact, the baby food is used both for the nourishment of the larvae of bees and drones but above all for the larvae that will become queens and for the ruler of the hive even in adulthood and during its entire life.

Nutritional properties

The baby food is mainly made up of water. It appears as a greyish-white substance with a very gelatinous consistency. Its flavor is faded towards a sour and sour taste.

Analyzing the substance we find a good percentage of proteins and amino acids, and then some sugars, especially fructose and glucose. Only a small percentage is made up of fats. Inside it was also found the presence of Vitamins including those of group B and natural antibiotic substances .

For this reason, royal jelly is also used by humans as a source of beneficial nourishment in special cases or even to stimulate appetite in children. Remember that bees are the only ones to produce edible substances for humans and, in addition to royal jelly, of course, also honey.

Uses of royal jelly

Royal jelly exerts a stimulating action on the whole body. On the human being it is able to bring numerous benefits. Very useful in case of fatigue, the baby food gives a good amount of energy and is also very useful in cases of poor nutrition, anemia, low blood pressure or other problems related to the elderly but also children.

Valuable food for queen bees

Royal jelly is used as food for the larvae located in the cells. For the first three days, the larvae are all fed the same way. Both the larvae present in the royal cells and the larvae that will give rise to worker bees and drones receive this substance for the first few days.

After this period of time, the baby food becomes a delicious food, intended only and exclusively for the larvae that will become queens. Royal jelly will allow queen bees to develop differently from other bees. Their body will grow in size and allow them to develop a reproductive system different from that of other females. In the case of the queen, she will be the only bee in the hive capable of being fertile, for this reason it is very precious for her family. 

Appearance of real cells

A larger amount of royal jelly is placed inside the royal cells. In fact, it is possible to find about 250-300 mg of substance within the latter. The real cells are easily identifiable. Their appearance is completely different from that of the hexagonal shaped cells.

The royal cells are located at the edge of the honeycomb and have the shape of an elongated cocoon, they are ideal for hosting the development of larger individuals. The complete development of a queen bee takes about two weeks, after which the larva fully reaches the adult state. In the event that multiple queens are preselected, the first born larva kills its sisters to gain the role of unrivaled ruler.

The task of the nurse bees

Nurse bees are essential in larvae development . Their task (as the name implies) is to take care of introducing nourishment into the cells . Their work during this phase is truly uninterrupted. Each royal larva receives a total of 1200 to 1600 nutrients during its development. The nurses pay particular attention to the royal larvae since it will be from there that the future of the new sovereign and consequently of the whole hive will depend.

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