What Is the Purpose of a Queen Bee?

The queen bee can live for three to five years and is the only bee with developed ovaries for reproduction. A new queen is chosen after the old one dies or has become unproductive.

  1. Reproduction

    • Queen bees are essentially egg-laying machines. Upon mating with several drone (male) bees, a queen bee can produce up to 2,000 eggs per day. The fertilized eggs become worker bees while the unfertilized eggs become drone bees.

    Regulation of Gender

    • The queen bee can decide whether to lay a female or a male egg through a sac which is connected to the egg passage tunnel. If she wants to lay a female egg, she would need to contract her muscles to release sperms that are stored in the sac to fertilize the egg.

    Fosters a Sense of Community

    • A queen bee fosters a sense of community by emitting pheromones--a bee perfume produced by the queen bee. The presence of this odor is an indication that the queen bee is still alive and healthy and can still reliably produce babies.