What happens to a drone after it mates with a queen bee?

After a drone mates with a queen bee, it experiences a specific physiological change that results in its death shortly after the mating process. During mating, the drone must transfer sperm to the queen, which involves a physical expulsion of part of its reproductive organs. This process is so taxing that it seals the drone's fate, leading to its death immediately after mating.

Drones are male bees whose primary purpose is to mate with a queen, and they do not contribute to the foraging or hive maintenance tasks that worker bees perform. They do not continue to work within the hive, nor do they transform into worker bees as that is a role exclusively fulfilled by females. Additionally, while drones leave the colony during mating flights, their primary goal is reproduction, and they do not become permanent residents of any colony afterward. This unique life cycle highlights the specialized role of drones in the bee community, emphasizing reproduction over survival or labor.