Royal jelly is a distinctive substance produced by honey bees, recognized for its milky, gel-like consistency and its unique role within the hive. It represents a specialized secretion that underpins the development and sustained health of certain bees.
The Makers of Royal Jelly
Royal jelly is produced by young worker bees, known as nurse bees, typically 5 to 15 days old. These bees possess developed glands in their heads that create this nutrient-rich substance. The process begins with nurse bees consuming large quantities of pollen and honey, which provide the necessary raw materials.
The production of royal jelly involves two glands: the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands. The hypopharyngeal glands secrete a protein-rich component, while the mandibular glands contribute lipid-rich compounds, including fatty acids. These secretions combine to form royal jelly, essential for larval development. Its chemical composition includes approximately 60-70% water, 12-15% proteins, 10-15% carbohydrates, 3-6% lipids, and trace minerals and vitamins.
Royal Jelly’s Role in the Colony
Within the beehive, royal jelly serves as a food source for developing larvae and the queen bee. Initially, all bee larvae, regardless of their eventual caste, are fed royal jelly for their first two to three days. This initial feeding provides them with the high-nutrient intake necessary for rapid early growth.
After this initial period, the diet of worker and drone larvae shifts to a mixture of honey and pollen. However, a larva destined to become a queen continues to receive an exclusive and abundant supply of royal jelly throughout her larval development and adult life. This specialized diet is responsible for the queen bee’s distinctive characteristics, including her larger size, significantly longer lifespan, and highly developed reproductive capabilities. The unique proteins within royal jelly, such as royalactin, influence gene expression, directing the larva’s development towards queen morphology.
Gathering Royal Jelly for Human Use
Royal jelly is primarily harvested from specialized queen cells within a beehive. Beekeepers stimulate a colony to produce numerous queen cells by introducing young larvae into artificial queen cups, mimicking natural queen rearing. This encourages nurse bees to deposit substantial quantities of royal jelly into these cells.
Collection typically occurs when queen larvae are two to four days old, as the royal jelly supply is most abundant then. Before extraction, larvae are carefully removed from the queen cells. Beekeepers use small tools, such as spatulas or vacuum devices, to collect the milky substance. This labor-intensive process requires precision and careful handling to maintain the quality of the royal jelly.