The queen bee is the only one in the hive that can lay eggs. She can live for up to five years. All worker bees are female and are produced from fertilized eggs. These bees do all the work in the hive. They clean and feed the queen, feed the larva and drones, make honey and wax, guard the hive, remove dead bees, and fly out to flowers to gather nectar and pollen.
Workers usually live for only four to six weeks.
The Drone Bee Drone bees are produced from unfertilized eggs. They are born in the late spring and summer. Drones are larger than workers and have bigger eyes. They do not have a stinger. Their only job is to mate with young queens from other hives.