castes

The three types of bees in a hive are classified according to their function: the queen, the drones and the workers.

worker

Sterile female who does various tasks, such as searching for food, building cells and defending the colony.

drone

Stingless male bee; its only function is to reproduce.

queen

The only reproductive female in the colony, whose sole function is to lay eggs; it is fertilized by five to 10 drones.