Which caste of bees is responsible for laying eggs?

The queen bee is the primary reproductive individual in a bee colony, and her main role is to lay eggs. Typically, a queen can lay thousands of eggs per day during the peak of the season, ensuring the continuous growth and sustainability of the bee population. She is equipped physiologically to produce fertilized eggs, which develop into female worker bees, and unfertilized eggs, which develop into male drone bees.

Worker bees, while essential for maintaining the hive and performing various supportive roles, do not have the capability to lay eggs. Their functions include foraging for food, caring for the queen and brood, defending the hive, and maintaining the nest. Drone bees are all male and primarily exist to mate with a queen; they do not partake in egg-laying. Forager bees are a type of worker bee specifically tasked with gathering nectar, pollen, and other resources, again not involving egg production. Understanding the distinct roles of these different castes highlights the queen's unique position as the sole egg-layer in a healthy bee colony.