How long do bees live

How Long Bees Live ? Generally speaking, no particularly striking difference can be made between the life expectancy of a bee in the wild and the life expectancy of one that has been raised in an apiary.

Their natural longevity limits are very strict, so there is no way to extend them excessively, even in captivity:

Workers: live 7 weeks.

Male or drone bees: 3 months.

Queen bees: between 3 and 6 years.

On the other hand, it is important to highlight that, in a strictly taxonomic sense, bees are not a species, but a clade of insects, in which up to 20,000 different species can be found, each with its own life expectancy (according to the roles of their social castes).

The lifespan of other bees like bumblebees and solitary bees is usually shorter. Some bees are kept by humans (beekeeping), but this doesn’t mean that they live in captivity. The beekeeper only supports their natural activities.

However, there is one thing that makes bees raised in this way safer – the fact that they are placed in special boxes and protected from different predators. Yet, it is not unusual for bears to break in, cause damage and kill bees.

Like most living beings, bees can develop certain diseases. These diseases can affect their lifespan too. In addition, pollution caused by humans can affect their health too making them die faster.

It is also worth mentioning that bees have natural enemies. A good example of a mammal that eats bees is the badger. The bear eats honey but doesn’t eat bees. In addition, many birds eat bees and there are some species of spiders, flies, and wasps that kill and eat bees. For further information about bees checkout the rest of our website where you can find information all about bees.