Bees are both male and female, but the roles and proportions differ significantly within a bee colony.
Here's a breakdown:
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Worker Bees: These are all female, but they are sterile, meaning they cannot reproduce. They perform the majority of tasks within the hive, such as foraging for food, building and maintaining the honeycomb, and caring for the young.
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Queen Bee: The queen is also female, and she is the only fertile female in the colony. Her primary role is to lay eggs and ensure the continuation of the hive. She is essentially the mother of all the other bees in the colony.
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Drone Bees: These are the male bees in the colony. Their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. They do not have stingers and do not participate in the tasks performed by worker bees. After mating, the drone dies.
In summary, a bee colony consists of mostly female worker bees, a single female queen bee, and a smaller number of male drone bees. All three genders play critical, distinct roles in the survival of the colony.
