What is the primary role of the queen bee in a colony?

The primary role of the queen bee in a colony is to lay eggs and produce pheromones. The queen is the reproductive member of the hive, and her primary function is to ensure the continuation of the colony through egg production. A healthy queen can lay thousands of eggs each day, playing a crucial role in maintaining the population of worker bees and drones in the colony.

In addition to reproduction, the queen emits specific pheromones that serve various purposes, including signaling to the rest of the colony that she is present and healthy, which helps to maintain social cohesion and regulate the behavior of the worker bees. These pheromones can affect the development of the larvae and help prevent the workers from raising additional queens.

While gathering nectar and pollen, defending the hive, and caring for the brood are vital functions for the survival of a beehive, these tasks are primarily carried out by the worker bees. The queen's unique responsibilities of laying eggs and producing reproductive pheromones are essential for the colony’s growth and overall health.