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Must See: A bee's first 21 days in time lapse, egg to adult


Leeanna McLean
Digital Reporter

Friday, May 22, 2015, 12:29 PM - In effort to raise awareness on the declining population of bees, National Geographic vet photographer Anad Varma published a fascinating time lapse of the first 21 days of a bee’s life.

One of the biggest threats to bee colonies is a tiny parasitic mite from Asia, the varroa destructor. These mites suck developing bees’ blood, which weakens their immune systems, making a bee colony vulnerable to disease and possibly death.

In this rare close-up glimpse of bee maturation, you can see the mites attacking around the 26 second mark.

While the varroa destructor is known to be responsible for deteriorating the bee population, a 2014 study found that pesticides were to blame.

“Being able to actually watch them in the hive, you get to observe the things you read about or are told about,” Varma told National Geographic. “That was a real privilege that I wouldn’t have gotten had I just gone to the lab or just read the books or papers. I got a lot more excited about bees, because I was able to watch them make their living."

Source: National Geographic | YouTube 

Related video: Our meteorologist Mark Robinson gets up close and personal with bees

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