Honey bees are social insects that live in the same dwelling and rely on each other for the survival of the hive. In the hive, each bee has a responsibility.

The drones mate with the queen. The queen lays eggs. The worker

bees do just about everything else.

For the first three weeks of her adult life, a worker bee performs chores inside the hive. Known as house

bees to beekeepers, these young adults clean the hive, feed larvae, build wax cells, and make honey.

Each bee, guided by an inner clock, does certain chores as she reaches a certain age.

For the second half of the worker bee’s life, she works outside. If the air is hot, her first task is to ventilate the hive by fanning her wings just outside the nest. (A honey bee’s wings flap over 183 times per second!)

The worker’s next job is to stand guard outside the hive. Bees can recognize their hive mates by scent and will attack unfamiliar bees and other insects. When a worker bee defends her colony against and stings an enemy, she gives off an alarm pheromone from a gland near her stinger to alert other bees.

The last role of the worker bee is that of forager, flying through fields, gardens, and orchards gathering food and supplies.

The field worker bee makes about ten trips a day, each one lasting about an hour.

She leaves the hive at sunrise and returns from her last flight at sunset. During these travels, the worker gathers not only nectar and pollen, but also water and propolis (bee glue).