A queen bee is the primary reproductive female in a honeybee colony. She is larger than the worker bees and is responsible for laying eggs, ensuring the colony's growth and survival. A queen can lay thousands of eggs each day, and her pheromones help maintain the social structure of the hive. The life cycle of a queen bee begins when a colony raises a new queen from a fertilized egg. This process occurs when the old queen is aging or when the colony is preparing to swarm. Once mated, the queen will spend her life in the hive, focusing solely on reproduction.