The Queen: heart of the hive

The queen bee is the only fertile female in the colony. Her main task is to lay eggs, up to thousands a day during peak activity. She governs the hive not with commands, but through pheromones that maintain social cohesion and stability.

The queen bee hatches from a larva fed exclusively on royal jelly, a rich food produced by worker bees. This special diet allows her to fully develop her reproductive system and live much longer than other bees.

A queenless colony quickly loses its balance. If the queen dies or becomes ineffective, the workers raise a new queen to ensure the survival of the hive.

The queen's health is crucial to the colony's productivity and strength. Therefore, beekeepers carefully monitor her presence and vitality.