Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____________

A BEE FOR EVERY JOB

Like people, honeybees live in communities where every bee has a job. The bees work
together for the good of the hive, which is their neighborhood or home. They work together to
raise the young, gather food, and build or repair their homes. Unlike human societies, though,
there are just a few types of jobs to be done in a hive. Bees are born already suited for the job
they will do during their life, however long that life may be. The way eggs and larvae are cared
for determines a bee’s role in its community.

The Queen Bee

The most important job in a honeybee colony is that of the queen. Instead of all bees
participating in the reproduction process, only queen bees lay the eggs that will become
members of the hive. All other jobs in a colony revolve around caring for the queen since she
keeps the community going. Other bees also work hard to care for the eggs and bee larvae
since they will become future workers or queens.

Queen bees can live for three or

four years, which is much longer than
other bee lifespans. Queens are born
from eggs laid in special hexagonal cells
that allow them to grow bigger than the
other bees. Queen bee larvae are fed
royal jelly, a secretion made by worker
bees specifically for a growing queen. A
young queen bee will leave her hive only
once in her life. She will fly out to mate
with drone bees in the area, then spend
the rest of her life laying the eggs that will The queen bee (located in the middle) can be almost twice
become her fellow community members. the size of worker bees.

Like humans, bees work together effectively by communicating. The queen produces a
pheromone that sends messages to her hive members. Pheromones are secreted chemicals
that send a message to make others behave in a certain way. When hives are healthy, queens
produce a “queen substance” pheromone that communicates all is well with the community.

Honeycomb with eggs and larvae. Queen bee larvae in royal jelly. The stages of larvae development.

© Natayle Brown
A Job for Drones
Drone bees also have important jobs, although theirs is very specific and doesn’t help the
rest of the hive much. Drone bees are males born for the sole purpose of breeding with their
queen or new queens of other hives. Drones develop from eggs laid in larger cells than worker
bee eggs. The queen doesn’t fertilize the eggs, so a male develops. When drone bee larvae
emerge from their egg, they are cared for by nurse bees. When they are older, they can eat
directly from the food stores shared by the hive.
Drone bees don’t have a hard life, but they
do have a short one. They only live for a few
months. When the hive is getting ready for a hard
time, like a long cold winter, the need for drones
decreases dramatically. Think of them as extra
mouths to feed. If there is a food shortage, drones
will be kicked out of the hive. Since they don’t
have any food-gathering skills, they will starve to
death. Drone bees also die off during winter when
the resources are reserved for the queen, the
A drone bee is characterized by its slightly fatter body
and enormous eyes. It does not have a stinger. growing young bees, and the workers.

Busy as a BEE
Worker bees are the third kind of bee in a bee colony. Eggs that will hatch worker bees
gestate for the longest time. When they are young, worker bees are nurses, feeding the young
and cleaning and repairing the hive. Nurse bees also guard the hive against predators when
needed. Towards the end of her life, a worker bee becomes a forager. These bees bring the
raw material required to sustain life back to the hive. Worker bees forage for nectar, pollen, and
water. They also bring back plant resins to build and repair their home, the hive.

The worker bee lifespan varies depending on when they are born. If they are born and
mature during the season of food gathering, they may only live a couple of months. They work
so hard they age and die more quickly. If worker bees are born at the end of the season and
over-winter in the hive, they can live up to six months because they are not working as hard.

Honeybees live in communities like people, but fewer kinds of workers are needed to
sustain a hive. Bees work together for the good of the colony, so it will be healthy and last a
long time. Some bees will only have one job during their lives. Worker bees change jobs as
needed based on what is best for the colony at the time. Maybe people can learn a thing or
two from the community-minded honeybee.
 Name: ____________________________________________________ Period: ____________

A BEE FOR EVERY JOB

IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA & KEY DETAILS
What is the main idea of “A Bee For Every Job?” What key details did the author use to support
it? Fill out the graphic organizer below as you think through these questions.

Topic

Look at the title, introduction,

and conclusion for clues.
What does the author want me to
know about it?
Look at the subheadings and
different sections for clues.

Key Detail Key Detail

Key Detail

What is the author’s purpose for writing “A Bee For Every Job?”
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
 Name: ____________________________________________________
A BEE FOR EVERY JOB
IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA & KEY DETAILS
1. Find the three main jobs of honeybees.
Highlight them in orange.
2. Find a sentence that tells what makes the
queen bee different from other
honeybees. Highlight it in green.
3. Find a sentence that describes how the
queen bee communicates with her hive.
Highlight it in blue.
4. Find two reasons why drone bees have a
short life span. Highlight them in yellow.
7. How does the section “A Job For Drones”
5. Which sentence best explains the main
idea of this article?
a) “A Bee For Every Job” describes the
different ways honeybees
contribute to their colony.
b) “A Bee For Every Job” tells why
queen bees are so important to
their colonies.
c) “A Bee For Every Job” shows how
human communities should be
more like honeybee colonies.
8. Describe the author’s purpose in writing
d) “A Bee For Every Job” describes the
various jobs of worker bees in a bee
colony.
6. Choose three specific details the author
uses to develop the main idea. Using
complete sentences, list them below.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Period: ____________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
contribute to the main idea?
a) This section explains the short life
span of a drone bee.
b) This section shows how drones are
willing to sacrifice for the greater
good.
c) This section describes the role of a
drone in a colony.
d) This section shows how little drones
contribute to their colony.
this article in 1-2 sentences.
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________