Editing Worker bee (section)

== Progression of tasks ==
Through the lifecycle of a worker bee, she will take on many different roles within the hive, depending on how old she is and how long she has been working in the hive. The exact number of days she spends at each task depends on the requirements of the hive, however there is an estimated number of days each worker bee will spend at each task.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-22 |title=Honeybees all have different jobs to accomplish—Here's how they decide who is doing what |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/honey-bee-job-queen-hive-animals |access-date=2024-03-25 |website=Animals |language=en}}</ref>

=== Cell cleaning (days 1–2) ===
Brood cells must be cleaned before the next use. Worker bees in the cleaning phase perform this cleaning. Cells are inspected by the queen and if unsatisfactory, they will not be used. If the cells are not clean, the worker bee must repeat the cleaning process.

=== Nurse bees (days 3–12) ===
Nurse bees feed the worker larvae worker jelly, which is secreted from glands that produce royal jelly. On days 6–12, nurse bees feed [[royal jelly]], rich in vitamins, to the queen larva and drones. [[Drone (bee)|Drones]] receive worker jelly for 1 to 3 days until they are started on a diet of honey.

=== Queen attendants (days 7-11) ===
Queen attendants take care of the queen by feeding and grooming her. After coming into contact with the queen, the attendants spread [[queen mandibular pheromone]] (QMP) throughout the hive, which is a signal to the rest of the bees that the hive still has a viable queen.

=== Wax production (days 13–18) ===
Wax bees build cells from wax, repair old cells, and store nectar and pollen brought in by other workers. Early in the worker's career, she exudes wax from the space between her abdominal segments. Four sets of wax glands, situated inside the last four ventral segments of the abdomen, produce wax for comb construction.

=== Guard Bee (18-21) ===
Worker Bees can be assigned guard duty at the front entrance, when their stinger is mature, to protect colony from robbing.

=== Foraging bees (days 21–42) ===
The [[Forage (honey bee)|forager]] and scout bees travel up to {{convert|3|km|mi|abbr=off}} to a [[nectar source]], [[pollen source]], or to collect [[propolis]] or water. Worker bees journey away from the hive around 10 times each day, with each trip lasting an hour.<ref name=":03"/>