Today’s free printable features the Life Cycle of a Bee. I’m experimenting with the fun and glittery illustrations made by Glitter Meets Glue Designs. The blacklines are realistic, and the colored illustrations are glittery. Scroll down for details about how to get this printable.
Honey bees are fascinating creatures that play a crucial role in our ecosystem. They pollinate plants and produce honey, which is not only delicious but also has many health benefits. In this post, we will explore the life cycle of a honey bee and provide a free downloadable printable for children to learn the names of the various stages.
The Life Cycle of a Bee: Understanding the Stages
Egg Stage: The Beginning of the Bee Life Cycle
The life cycle of a honey bee begins with the queen bee laying an egg. The egg is very small and is about the size of a grain of rice. It is usually laid in a wax cell in the hive. The eggs are usually laid singly in a cell and are fertilized or unfertilized depending on the queen’s choice.
Larva Stage: Growing and Changing
After about three days, the egg hatches into a larva. The larva is fed a special food called “royal jelly” by the worker bees. After six days, the larva molts and becomes a pupa. During this stage, the larva grows rapidly and undergoes significant changes, including the development of its digestive system and nervous system.
Pupa Stage: Metamorphosis
The pupa is the stage where the bee develops its adult features. This stage takes about 12 days for worker bees and 16 days for drones. During this stage, the bee’s body becomes fully formed, and its wings, legs, and eyes develop. By the end of this stage, the bee is ready to emerge as an adult.
Adult Stage: The Final Transformation
After the pupal stage, the bee emerges as an adult. Worker bees live for about six weeks, while drones live for about eight weeks. The queen bee can live for several years. Adult bees play important roles in the hive, with worker bees foraging for nectar, building and maintaining the hive, and taking care of the young. Drones’ role is to mate with the queen, and the queen’s role is to lay eggs and lead the colony.
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Fun Facts About Honey Bees for Kids
- Honey bees have five eyes and three pairs of legs.
- Worker bees are all female and do all the work in the hive, while drones are male and their only job is to mate with the queen bee.
- Honey bees can fly up to 15 miles per hour.
- Honey bees have a special dance language that they use to communicate with each other.
- One honey bee can make about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
As you explore the life cycle of bees with your students, use our free downloadable printable to help children learn the names and sequence of the various stages. The printable includes 3-part cards and a sorting mat for children to sequence the stages of the life cycle. The printable also includes both color and black-line images, making it suitable for a variety of learning styles and abilities.
How To Get This Printable
I’ve added this printable to the Resource Library so head over there if you’d like to download a copy for yourself. The Library is a free resource for our newsletter subscribers. If you’re already a subscriber, your password is in the most recent newsletter. If you’re not a subscriber yet, please sign up below. The password will be included in your welcome email after you confirm. Thank you very much for joining me!
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