Male bees, also known as drones, have only one purpose in life: to mate with the queen bee. They do not do any work around the hive or nest, such as cleaning or building honeycombs, and they do not collect food or pollen. Drones are larger than worker bees and have no stinger). They have an appendage tucked within them that they will protrude when mating with a queen. Drones are incapable of feeding themselves or foraging for food, and they cannot feed without assistance from worker bees). They spend their whole lives eating honey and waiting for the opportunity to mate. When the time comes for the queen to make her nuptial flight, all the drones in other colonies will compete for the honor of insemination. During this mating activity, hundreds or even thousands of male bees will compete to mate with a queen. If they mate successfully, they fall to the ground in a victorious death. After mating, the drones endophallus is ripped from his abdomen, and he usually dies shortly after.