Editing Worker bee (section)

{{Short description|Caste of honey bee}}
[[File:Todd Huffman - Lattice (by).jpg|thumb|right|280px|Worker bees (with queen)]]

A '''worker bee''' is any female bee that lacks the reproductive capacity of the colony's [[queen bee]] and carries out the majority of tasks needed for the functioning of the hive. While worker bees are present in all [[Eusociality|eusocial]] bee species, the term is rarely used (outside of scientific literature) for bees other than [[honey bee]]s, particularly the European honey bee (''Apis mellifera''). Worker bees of this variety are responsible for approximately 80% of the world's crop pollination services.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Breeze |first1=T. D. |last2=Bailey |first2=A. P. |last3=Balcombe |first3=K. G. |last4=Potts |first4=S. G. |date=2011-08-01 |title=Pollination services in the UK: How important are honeybees? |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167880911001046 |journal=Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment |volume=142 |issue=3 |pages=137–143 |doi=10.1016/j.agee.2011.03.020 |bibcode=2011AgEE..142..137B |s2cid=83628314 |issn=0167-8809}}</ref>

Worker bees are the caste of bee that perform most of the fundamental tasks of the hive, and they are by far the most numerous type of bee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Honey Bees {{!}} Types, races, and anatomy of honey bees |url=https://www.uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/special-programs/beekeeping/about-honey-bees.aspx |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=About Honey Bees {{!}} Types, races, and anatomy of honey bees |language=en}}</ref> They are much smaller than [[Drone (bee)|drones]] or [[Queen bee|queen]] bees, with bodies specialized for nectar and pollen collection. They perform different tasks around the hive progressively over their lifespans in a predictable order based on their age.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ENY-166/IN1102: The Social Organization of Honey Bees |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN1102 |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Ask IFAS - Powered by EDIS |language=en}}</ref>

Worker bees gather pollen in the [[pollen basket]]s on their back legs and carry it back to the hive where it is used as food for the developing [[Brood (honeybee)|brood.]] Pollen carried on their bodies may be transferred to another flower, where a small portion can rub off on the [[pistil]], resulting in cross [[pollination]].  [[Nectar]] is sucked up through the proboscis, mixed with [[enzyme]]s in the stomach, and carried back to the hive, where it is stored in wax cells and evaporated into [[honey]].<ref name=":03">{{Cite web |date=2006-12-31 |title=Bee Life Stages |url=http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/~stone2/bee_life_stages.html |access-date=2023-11-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231022527/http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/~stone2/bee_life_stages.html |archive-date=2006-12-31 }}</ref>