Busy as a Bee - The Days of the Life of a Honey Bee

The life span of the worker bee is just six weeks (42 days). Every one of those days, from the moment the bee emerges it has specific tasks. Initially, the responsibilities include tasks performed within the hive. At this point, the bees are referred to as house bees. As they get older and their duties involve work outside of the hive, the bees are known as field bees. In some instances, the occupations change within minutes and they sometimes overlap.

Days	Task
1 - 3	Housekeeping - Cleans and polishes cells in preparation of new eggs and for storing nectar and pollen.
3 - 16	Undertaking - Removes any dead bees and disposes of the corpses as far away from the hive as possible.
4 - 12	Working in the Nursery - Feeds and cares for the developing larvae.
7 - 12	Attending to the Queen - Groom and feed the queen.
12 - 18	Nectar and Pollen Placement - Deposits the nectar and pollen from the returning field bees into the cells.
12 - 18	Fanning - Controls the temperature and humidity of the hive while evaporating the moistures from the curing honey. Is also a form of communication
12 - 35	Comb Builders - Produces beeswax for making new comb and for capping cells.
18 - 21	Guarding the Hive - Stationed at the entrance of the hive to make sure returning bees are, in fact, family.
22 - 42	Foraging Bees - Orientation flights help the bees learn the landmarks to help find their way home before joining the ranks of the field bees.