Which three castes are present in a honey bee colony?

In a honey bee colony, the three primary castes are the queen, worker, and drone. The queen is the sole reproductive female responsible for laying eggs and ensuring the colony's population grows. The worker bees, which are non-reproductive females, perform various essential tasks, including foraging for nectar and pollen, caring for the queen's offspring, maintaining the hive, and defending it. Drones, on the other hand, are the male bees whose primary role is to mate with a queen during the mating flight to ensure genetic diversity within the colony.

The other options presented do not accurately represent the castes in a honey bee colony. For instance, soldiers are not an official caste in honey bees, as worker bees take on defensive roles as needed. Similarly, scout bees are a specific type of worker responsible for finding new foraging locations or potential new nest sites, but they are not categorized as a distinct caste. Understanding these roles within the castes helps in grasping the complex social structure and functioning of honey bee colonies.