A Moment with the Queen: Laying the Future of the Hive

It’s always gratifying to spot the queen during a hive inspection. I was especially excited to capture a clip of this hardworking queen laying the next generation of pollinators.

A queen’s work is never done. During peak season she can lay 1,500–2,000 eggs per day, ensuring the colony continues to grow and thrive.

The wax cells where she lays her eggs are carefully built by the worker bees. The size of each cell helps the queen determine what type of egg to lay. Before laying, she measures the cell with her front legs.

In the smaller worker cells, the queen lays fertilized eggs, which develop into female worker bees or, under special conditions, future queens. In the larger cells, she lays unfertilized eggs, which develop into male drones.

Every egg she lays represents the future strength of the hive and the continuation of the vital pollinators that support our ecosystem.