How do bees eat?

[nella]

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?

[deejaycee]

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

[Michael Bush]

>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.