What do adult honey bees and honey bee eggs primarily consume?

Adult honey bees primarily consume honey and royal jelly, each serving different purposes in their life cycle. Honey is the primary food source for foraging bees, providing energy due to its high sugar content. Worker bees convert nectar into honey, which they store in the hive for later use, especially during times when foraging is not possible.

Royal jelly, on the other hand, is a special secretion used to feed the Queen bee and the larvae in their early development stages. It is rich in proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients essential for growth. Queens that are fed royal jelly throughout their larval stage develop into fertile adult bees, while those that are not fed this diet become worker bees.

In contrast, while pollen is an important protein source for developing larvae and is collected by bees and transformed into bee bread, it is not the primary substance consumed by adult bees. Similarly, bees bread serves as a protein source for young bees, but again, it is not the main diet for adults. Nectar alone is also insufficient because, while it is a food source for adult bees when converted into honey, it's not the direct diet. Thus, choosing honey and royal jelly as the correct answer reflects the distinct dietary needs and roles within the hive.