What Happens to Drone Bees?
Drone bees are male honeybees that are responsible for mating with the queen bee. They do not have stingers and their main purpose is to mate with the queen bee. After they mate, they die shortly afterwards.
Life Cycle of Drone Bees
The life cycle of drone bees begins when a queen bee lays an unfertilized egg in a special cell called a drone cell. The egg hatches into a larva after three days and is fed by worker bees. After five days, the larva spins a cocoon and pupates. After 12 days, the adult drone emerges from the cocoon.
Mating With the Queen Bee
Once the drone bee has emerged from its cocoon, it will fly out of the hive in search of a queen bee to mate with. When it finds one, it will follow her and attempt to mate with her in mid-air. If successful, the drone will die shortly afterwards due to exhaustion or being stung by other bees.