Early on, all bee larvae are fed a substance called royal jelly, which is a gelatinous substance produced in the head glands of 'nurse' bees. Royal jelly is composed of approximately two-thirds water, one-eighth proteins, 11 per cent simple sugars, small quantities of Vitamin C and various trace minerals and enzymes.

Do bees produce royal jelly?

Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of larvae and adult queens. It is secreted from the glands in the hypopharynx of nurse bees, and fed to all larvae in the colony, regardless of sex or caste.

Are bees killed for royal jelly?

Royal Jelly - killing bees for beauty

Royal Jelly is normally produced by special glands within the worker bees heads and fed to all baby bees soon after an egg is laid in the cell. Unfortunately thousands of baby bee larvae destined to become Queen bees are killed in order to collect this 'precious' Royal Jelly.