The drone (male)

Hatching from an unfertilised egg, the male larva develops in a horizontal hexagonal cell that is larger than the worker bee cell. Like the other larvae, it will be fed with royal jelly for 3 days, followed by a mixture of honey and pollen. A drone larva requires much more pollen than a worker larva.

The drone cell will be capped 10 days after egg-laying. The adult drone will leave the hive for the first time on day 24.

Larger, rounder and hairier than the workers, the drone has no stinger.

Unlike field bees, the drone is not attached to a specific hive. During its outings between April and July, it tries to fertilize a virgin queen during a nuptial flight. This will end its life.

It may help to maintain the pheromone and thermal balance of the hive, though this is not certain.