The queen honeybee lays all the eggs. She can live for up to three or four years. How many eggs do you think she could lay in one day? Up to 2,000!
Honeybee looking for nectar
Courtesy of Bob Delaney
Honeybee looking for nectar
Courtesy of Bob Delaney
Courtesy of Bob Delaney
Honeybee looking for nectar
Courtesy of Bob Delaney
The workers are female bees that are smaller than the queen bee. They do not lay any eggs.
Have you ever heard someone say 'busy as a bee'? The worker bees are very busy indeed! They clean out the hive and take care of the young bees. They also collect nectar from flowers and build the honeycomb.
The drones are the male honeybees. They are big, clumsy creatures, with hairy bodies. They mate with the female queen bee so she can lay eggs. After mating, the drone bees die.
Did you know that not all bees have a sting?
The drones have no sting.
The workers have a long, straight sting. If it goes into your skin, it will stick to you. This is the only way the workers can protect themselves. However, when a worker bee uses its sting it will die a few hours later.
The queen honeybee has a sting as well. She will only use it to kill another queen bee. The queen honeybees will not die after using it.
Three honeybees
Courtesy of Bob Delaney
Courtesy of Bob Delaney