Soon after the emergence of the first workers, the queen no longer forages for pollen and nectar. The queen will remain in the nest laying eggs and tending to her young. The female workers take over the responsibilities of collecting pollen and nectar. They also help care for their immature siblings, tend to the queen, and defend the hive. A loose division of labor exists in the bumble bee nest, where one group of workers remain in the nest and help raise the brood and the second group are foragers which bring food back to the nest.
Smaller workers remain in the nest and are called household bees.
Household bees build cells to store honey and pollen, care for the young, and defend the nest. Larger workers will forage for nectar and pollen and are called foragers. Foraging bees generally forage within a half-mile radius of the nest and return at night. They begin to forage at two days old and have a life expectancy of four to six weeks. Foraging workers can be observed throughout the spring and summer collecting pollen and nectar for the hive.