Royal jelly is a milky-white secretion that young worker bees, called nurse bees, make in glands in their heads. Every honey bee larva is fed it for its first few days of life. Larvae chosen to become queens keep getting royal jelly in large amounts for their whole development, and that rich, steady diet is what turns an ordinary female larva into a queen instead of a worker.
What is royal jelly made of?
Royal jelly is mostly water, with proteins, sugars and fats making up most of the rest, plus small amounts of B vitamins and minerals. Its proteins and a fatty acid called 10-HDA, which is found almost nowhere else in nature, are what researchers study most.
Why do queens get royal jelly and workers don’t?
Worker larvae are switched to a mix of pollen and honey after their first few days. Queen larvae, raised in large, peanut-shaped queen cells, are fed royal jelly the whole time. A queen develops faster than a worker, grows larger, can lay well over a thousand eggs a day in spring, and lives for years instead of weeks.
Is royal jelly good for people?
Royal jelly is sold as a supplement and has been studied for many health claims, but good evidence that it helps people is limited. It can also cause allergic reactions, which can be serious in people with asthma or bee allergies. Talk to a doctor before taking it.
Is there royal jelly in a hive in my wall?
Only small amounts, in the cells where larvae are being raised. What fills a wall is mostly honeycomb, honey, pollen and brood, and all of it has to come out during a removal so it doesn’t melt or attract new bees. See bee hive removal.
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