The role of the male adult honey bee, also known as a drone, is to mate with the queen bee. The drone's primary purpose is to fertilize the queen during mating flights, after which the drone dies. Drones do not have stingers and do not gather nectar or pollen, nor do they contribute to the day-to-day activities of the hive, such as cleaning, ventilation, or caring for the young. Their sole purpose is to mate with the queen and ensure the survival of the colony by producing new worker bees.