The lifespan of a honey bee depends on its role within the hive and the time of year. The queen bee, which is the largest and most important bee in the hive, can live for several years, while the worker bees, which are responsible for foraging for food and tending to the young, typically live for about six weeks during the busy summer months. However, during the winter months, when the hive is inactive and there is less for the worker bees to do, they may live for several months. Drones, or male bees, have the shortest lifespan of all, living for only a few weeks or months
