As part of a recent TED Talk (presented at the bottom of this article) photographer Anand Varma captured the incredible 21 day transformation from bee egg to larvae to pupae to adult, all in a breathtaking one-minute time-lapse video:

In order to construct this time-lapse, Varma raised bees in his backyard, in front of a camera. His effort is part of a National Geographic program, called ‘Building Bees‘, which gives an insight into how life is in a beehive, and highlights one of the biggest dangers bees face: a mite that preys on baby bees in the first 21 days of life. Bee numbers are dropping at alarming rates in many areas of the world, with no clear reason in sight. The likely cause is a mixture of numerous factors, including habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, and of course, pesticide use.

For more information, read:

• The world bee populations are dwindling, and we still can’t make it stop
• Pesticide limit may be the last resort to save the bees, White House says 

Image via National Geographic.