Royal jelly is a milky, gelatinous substance produced by honey bees. It is distinct from other hive products like honey or beeswax, serving a specialized nutritional role within the colony. This unique secretion is a complex blend of water, proteins, sugars, and lipids, along with trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.
The Bee’s Internal Machinery
The production of royal jelly is carried out by nurse bees, typically young worker bees ranging from approximately 5 to 15 days old. These bees have specialized glands in their heads responsible for synthesizing this substance.
Two primary glands contribute to royal jelly production: the hypopharyngeal glands and the mandibular glands. The hypopharyngeal glands are paired structures located bilaterally in the bee’s head, positioned in front of the brain between the compound eyes. These glands are responsible for secreting the protein-rich, clear component of royal jelly. The mandibular glands, situated near the bee’s mandibles or jaws, contribute a lipid-rich, white component, including a fatty acid called 10-hydroxy-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA). Both glands develop and reach peak secretory capacity when the worker bees are in their nursing phase.
The Raw Materials
Nurse bees create royal jelly from specific raw materials. Unlike honey, which primarily originates from nectar, royal jelly production relies heavily on pollen. Pollen serves as the main protein source for nurse bees, crucial for the development and activation of their hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands.
In addition to pollen, nurse bees consume nectar or honey for carbohydrates and water. These raw materials are processed within the bee’s body to form the distinct components. The quantity and quality of pollen consumed directly influence the development of these glands and the resulting royal jelly’s composition.
The Secretion and Distribution Process
Royal jelly forms from the coordinated secretions of the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands. The hypopharyngeal glands release a protein-rich fluid, while the mandibular glands secrete a lipid-rich substance. Nurse bees then combine and mix these distinct secretions to form the final, milky-white royal jelly.
Nurse bees deliver royal jelly to colony members. All young larvae, regardless of their destined caste (worker, drone, or queen), receive royal jelly for the first two to three days. However, queen-destined larvae are continuously and abundantly fed royal jelly throughout their entire larval development. This copious feeding ensures a constant supply of the nutrient-rich substance within their specialized queen cells, often causing the larvae to float in it. Worker and drone larvae are switched to a diet primarily composed of honey and pollen after their initial few days.
Royal Jelly’s Purpose in the Hive
Royal jelly plays a role in determining the developmental fate and overall physiology of honey bees. Its primary function is to facilitate the development of a queen bee from a genetically identical female larva that would otherwise become a worker bee. The exclusive and abundant diet of royal jelly activates specific genes in the queen-destined larva, leading to changes in her morphology and reproductive capabilities.
Queens develop a larger size, fully formed reproductive organs, and an extended lifespan, often living for several years compared to the few weeks of a worker bee. Royal jelly also supports the adult queen throughout her life, sustaining her high egg-laying rate, which can be thousands of eggs per day. It also provides initial nourishment for all bee larvae, ensuring their rapid growth during their earliest developmental stages.
Human Harvesting
Human harvesting of royal jelly involves specific beekeeping techniques to encourage its production beyond the colony’s natural needs. Beekeepers typically induce the creation of numerous queen cells by introducing queenless conditions or by grafting young larvae into artificial queen cups within a hive. This manipulation tricks nurse bees into producing large quantities of royal jelly to provision these potential queen cells.
Once the queen cups are filled with royal jelly, usually when the larvae are about three days old and before they consume too much of the jelly, the beekeeper removes the larvae. The royal jelly is then carefully collected from these cells using specialized tools like small spatulas or suction devices. This process is labor-intensive and requires precision to maintain the purity of the harvested royal jelly.