So what’s the difference in the two bees? Both live in colonies, but bumble bee colonies are annual and die out at the end of summer, while honeybee colonies can live for decades. For this reason, bumble bee colonies never have time to grow very large, typically around 250 individuals. The average honey bee colony boasts 50,000 bees. The bumble bee does not produce honey, but they do collect and store nectar to feed the young. The nectar never matures to the state of honey. The honey bee can only sting one time, and then they die. The bumble bee can sting multiple times but they are more docile and not as prone to sting. The above photos were taken with a “macro” lens, which is used for photographing very small subjects at very close distances.