When does a drone die?

The male bee, or drone, dies when there is no more nectar available from the fields. The reason for this is that, when the workers bees can no longer collect nectar for the hive, the production of honey stops. Deprived of their food the drones rapidly grow weak and are carried from the hive by the workers to die.

The drone takes 24 days to develop from the egg to a fully grown male and may live as an adult for several months. Its only function in the bee’s community is as a potential mate for the queen.