WHY are bees so important?

You may be wondering...

They work together!

They help the environment!

They make HONEY!

Bees travel in large groups, 

called colonies. 

They live in hives, built from beeswax, leaves, wood, or clay.

Hives are like neighborhoods. Bees live, eat, and even make honey in them! 

All bees have daily tasks, but each one has a specific job to do!

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The Queen Bee

She can be easily found because she is larger. Her abdomen stretches longer than the length of her wings, which might make the wings look smaller. Queens also usually look brighter in color compared to the other bees in the hive.

Can YOU spot the Queen Bee?

The Queen is extra important to a hive because she is the only bee that lays fertile eggs!

She can lay up to 1,500 eggs in ONE DAY! 

She also has chemical scents called pheromones that keep all the bees attracted to her in the hive.

She'll live for up to 3 years, creating 

many, many generations of bees.

Worker Bees

Worker bees are female, but they do not lay eggs like the queen. Their job in the hive is to care for the eggs by making honey and building structures for the other bees to stay safe. 

Worker bees live for about 5-6 weeks during the late spring season, but 4-6 MONTHS if they're overwintering. 

Drones

Drones are male and do not have stingers. They usually only live for 90 days during the early summer season.  

Drones are slightly larger than worker bees. 

Drones' only job in the hive is to mate with the queen.

They are sometimes known as the "lazy bees" because when they aren't mating, they lounge in the hive. 

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The Queen Bee lays her egg in an empty wax cell, built by a worker bee. 

When a larva hatches from the egg, a worker bee comes to feed it. 

The larva grows bigger and bigger! 

When the larva reaches its full size, a worker bee closes the cell to keep it safe.