The queen’s only job is to lay eggs. From the time she is mated until the day she dies (up to 7 years), she is the sole propagator of the hive. Without her laying the eggs, the colony will die. During the Spring nectar flow, the workers only live about 6 weeks. About 2500 - 3000 bees are dying each day. The queen has to lay more eggs than this so the hive will grow. 2500 - 3500 eggs a day are needed. During the winter months, the bees live longer (how much longer depends on the latitude of the colony). In the south, the winter is fairly short and warmer than in the north where the winter can last up to 6 months. During this time, the queen only lays a minimum amount of eggs just for maintenance. As the spring grows nearer, she will begin to lay more and more eggs getting ready for the big Spring nectar flow.