Bee larvae, including honey bee larvae, typically go through five molts during their development. Each molt is a stage called an instar. During each molt, the larva sheds its outer skin or exoskeleton and grows a new one. This process allows the larva to increase in size and undergo necessary physiological changes as it progresses towards adulthood. After the fifth molt, the larva transforms into a pupa inside a capped cell and eventually emerges as an adult bee.