In South Africa, development from egg to adult required 38-81 days, with five generations a year possible during the warmer months. Females lay eggs in cracks and crevices of the hive. The eggs are similar in appearance to those of honey bees, except they are about two-thirds as long. They are deposited in irregular masses and hatch in 2 to 3 days. Larvae that feed on honey only do not do as well as those that feed on honey and pollen.
Mature larvae leave their host colony and burrow into the ground to pupate.
The larvae can become covered with the fermented honey, and as they migrate away, they leave trails of it behind them discoloring the surface over which they crawl. As they leave the hive through the various openings and cracks, the exterior of the hive may become discolored, particularly in a heavy infestation. Pupae are white to brown and are found in the soil beneath hives. Most adults emerge after three to four weeks in the ground. About a week after emergence from the soil, the females begin to lay eggs.