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

The queen bee plays a central role in the hive primarily through her function of laying eggs. This is her most crucial responsibility, as the queen is the primary reproductive individual in the colony. She can lay thousands of eggs over her lifetime, ensuring the colony's population remains stable and can grow. The health and productivity of the colony largely depend on the queen's ability to lay eggs consistently, which contributes to the genetic diversity and overall strength of the bee population.

While other roles in the colony, such as foraging for food, maintaining hive temperature, and cleaning the hive, are essential for the overall functioning and survival of the colony, they are primarily carried out by worker bees. These tasks help support the queen and her offspring, but they do not involve the reproductive aspects that are critical to colony growth and sustainability. Therefore, the main role of the queen bee can be accurately characterized by her function in laying eggs.