Do the bees lap the nectar like a cat or do they use their tongue like a straw and how far can they reach to get nectar?
They have a pretty complex mouth - from memory at least three parts fold together to form a tube with the tongue, and through that they suck nectar. They have a large 'honey pump' in their head which allows them to suck, and likewise to expel the nectar when back at the nest.
There's a good picture down the page here:
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/bee1.htm
>or do they use their tongue like a straw
Yes.
> and how far can they reach to get nectar?
According to Baudoux on a natural sized bee it would be about 6mm.