Sterile female Bees collect nectar and pollen all summer to be able to survive the winter. Pollen is a source of proteins to the bee, while nectar is a source of sugar. Pollen and nectar constitute the whole food diet of bees. Sterile female bees are the workers of the hive. Workers collect food, protect the hive from intruders, and provide food to the queen and larvae. The sole function of male bees is mating, since they lack the body structures necessary to produce wax or carry pollen. The queen is the bee that lays eggs. It is the only fertile female in the hive. When winter arrives or when the food becomes scarcely available, female honeybees force the male bees outside the hive.
Wilson, T. V. How Bees Work. (n.d.) HowStuffworks, retrieved Friday July 10th 2009 from http://www.howstuffworks.com
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