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The drones & workers

The Drones

Drones are fat male bees that have no stingers. Drones do not collect food or pollen from flowers. Their only purpose is to mate with the queen. If the colony is short on food, drones are often kicked out of the hive because they don't do any work.

 

The Workers

Workers, the smallest bees in the colony, are all females, but they can't lay eggs. A colony can have 50,000 to 60,000 workers.

Usually, a worker bee will live for only 28 to 35 days. However workers that are reared in late autumn can live through the winter.

Workers feed the queen and larvae, guard the hive entrance and help to keep the hive cool by fanning their wings. Worker bees also collect nectar to make honey. Also, honey bees produce wax comb. The comb is made of hexagonal cells which have walls that are very very thin, but are very strong.

Honey bees' wings stroke 11,400 times per minute (that's very fast!), and that is why we hear the buzzing sound they make - it is their wings beating.

If you get stung by a bee, it will be a worker bee, and the sting will probably be left in your body. The bee will then die.

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