Bees live in families or colonies consisting of three categories of individuals. The female, or queen, has the role of laying eggs. She is recognizable by the length of her abdomen and the slenderness of her waist. The male is indispensable, but is only tolerated as long as his services are needed. The worker or neuter (to the right) is the productive element that does all the work. The queen surrounded by her court lays her eggs one per cell. She is able to lay three or four thousand per day. The eggs hatch the fourth day, releasing little larva. By the 9th day, the larva are their full size. Twenty one days after the cells are sealed, a perfect insect emerges from its honeycomb. In order to sharpen their topographic skills, bees imprint into their memories the tiniest details outside of the hive. The guardians serve as police and chase away invaders. A wasp enters the hive by accident and the police are on alert. Killed by the formidable stinger, it is then thrown out. The cleaners remove the invader's body. Returning from the harvest, the nectar collectors enter the hive. These laborious workers harvest from the corolla of the flower the materials from which wax and honey are made. They transport pollen in little pellets on their hind legs. The hexagonal shape of the cells is that which allows the maximum number to be built with the least amount of wax.