They eventually 'pupate', forming a hard skin to become a pupa . Their bodies turn black and after two weeks they develop into adult 'worker bees'. All workers are female and look like the queen but are smaller. This gradual change from larvae to adult is known as ' metamorphosis '. Butterflies, moths, flies, frogs and newts all undergo a similar process.
Worker bees collect nectar and pollen for the queen and new larvae to eat, and keep the burrow tidy.
The queen bee's energies are then devoted to laying more eggs throughout the summer. In late summer or early autumn, the queen produces larvae which develops into male bees called 'drones' and new queen bees. Both the males and the new queen bees leave the burrow and mate with bumblebees from other nests. The new pregnant queen bees then dig themselves into a burrow to hibernate and the lifecycle begins again. All the male drones, female worker bees and the old queen bee die during the winter.