The worker bees are female like queens but are underdeveloped as females. While the queen has only one role and that is to lay eggs, the workers perform all other tasks in the community. They clean the cells, build honeycombs, nurture and feed the larvae, feed the queen, maintain hygiene in the hive, maintain temperature and humidity in the hive, protect the hive from enemies, collect propolis resin, bring nectar and pollen. Each bee as an individual, depending on its age, performs all these tasks. That’s why bees are said to be “worker bees” because they do it all.
The worker bee itself is 12-14 mm long and weighs about 90 -115 mg. At the beginning of the season there are about 20,000 workers and during the active season there can be about 60,000 workers. Although the worker is like a female queen, due to the type of nutrition in the larval stage, the time the bee leaves the cell takes longer and is 21 days. Litter care has been shown to shorten the life of bees. During the active season, bees live for about 45 days, while the so-called winter bees that hatch in September can live for 4-6 months, ie until a new cycle of bees.
When the cranberry hatches in the first two weeks, it nurtures the litter and feeds the queen. During that period, he goes on a process flight as well as getting to know the surroundings. During this period, their wax glands are active, so they secrete wax to build honeycombs. After that time, they do other jobs. After 20 days, there are workers who bring nectar, pollen and water. However, depending on the need, the workers also perform tasks that do not suit their age. The first brood after winter is raised by old bees. They secrete milk even though they are several months old.
Drones are male individuals of the bee community. The structure of their body is adapted to the role they have in the community, which is the fertilization of the queen. Their body is shorter and thicker than the body of the queen and larger than the crankshaft. Their number in the hive varies depending on the season. In spring and early summer there are the most of them because then they have the task of fertilizing the queen, while in early autumn the workers push them from the honey to the side, stop feeding them and they die of hunger and cold. In winter, bees enter without drones. However, there are also when workers keep drones and then the queen is bad and the bees plan to replace it so that they need it for fertilization.
It takes the drone the most time for the cells to come out ... 24 days. When he comes out, he is not yet fully mature, so he needs another 8 to 14 days. During the spraying trip, the queen emits a specific odor that attracts drones. The drone that is the fastest mates with the queen and its task is accomplished. During the separation, his sexual organ is torn and he dies.
