A drone is not an animal, but rather a male honey bee). Drones are characterized by their larger size and eyes compared to worker bees and queens, and their stouter abdomen). They do not have stingers and cannot gather nectar or pollen, and their only role is to mate with a queen bee). Drones are necessary for the survival of honey bee colonies, as they ensure the genetic material of the colony is spread far and wide. They are mostly useless and often need female worker bees to bring them food so they don’t starve. Drones typically live for about 20 days, but can occasionally live up to 60 days.