Regarding a bee's daily cycle -
 
Bees are much like other creatures in the pattern of their day. They
work, sleep, and hang out. Studies have shown that they will work about
8 hours per day (assuming there is work to be done), patrol the hive
looking for work to be done for about 8 hours per day, and rest or sleep
for the balance of the time. Regarding this latter activity, below is an
excerpt from one of my past newsletters.
 
"Honey bees do sleep. This is something most of us rarely see. We seldom
if ever open a hive at night when apparently most of the sleeping is
done, and opening a hive would probably wake up any sleeping bees
anyhow. But, according to the abstract of a paper from Germany entitled
Sleep in Insects, by W. Kaiser, bees do sleep. Apparently there are
always some bees awake and active, on the brood comb for instance.
Others go to the edge of the comb or into empty cells, or sometimes to
the hive floor, and take up resting postures including lying on their
sides. They remain motionless for long periods during the night, though
like any sleeping animals there is occasional stirring - respiratory
movement, leg jerks, and antenna movement for instance.
 
During routine hive inspections I have occasionally seen a bee in a
presumably empty cell with only the tip of the abdomen showing. Taking
an afternoon nap no doubt."