Guide:Queen Bee strategies

Terrain Preparation
Prepare a fairly large area to fight in, as the Queen Bee is about as tall as you can jump. Have wooden platforms extending from one side of the hive to the next, so you can jump to evade its charge attacks. Have a small pool of honey below the platforms in case you need a regeneration buff, and cover all other sources with blocks or platforms, so they don't slow you down during battle. A campfire or a heart lamp would greatly reduce the need for potions, as well.

Potions
Bring at least 5 Healing Potions. Ironskin Potions will also reduce damage, making the fight much easier. Its recommended to also attempt to get Rocket Boots or Spectre Boots. If you don't have access to rocket boots, a Swiftness Potion will usually suffice, especially when she tries to ram you.

Armor
You should have at least 12 defense. Jungle Armor is good for magic because you can get it right underneath the Jungle and it has a good set bonus for using magic items. Ancient Cobalt armor is the same as jungle except it has a different visual effect and they're a drop for hornets and man eaters, thus making them way harder to get.

Accessories
Cloud in a Bottle/Blizzard in a Bottle/Sandstorm in a Bottle, a Grappling Hook, and Rocket Boots/Spectre Boots are very helpful, although not entirely necessary. A Menacing Shackle combined with the right gear can also make quick work of the Queen and her bees. Bezoar is also useful, as it negates the Poisoned debuff and has a 1/100 chance to drop from Hornets. (Or in Hardmode the Toxic Sludge or the Moss Hornet.)

Melee
If you're planning on using melee for the Queen Bee it's best to use the Night's Edge as a broadsword. If you're not then its best if you use boomerangs such as the Thorn Chakram, Enchanted Boomerang or a Flamerang will work well if you have access to them as they have chance to inflict the On Fire! and Poisoned (apart fron the Enchanted Boomerang, which does nothing) debuffs or flails such as the the Blue Moon/Sunfury.

Ranged
If you want to use ranged weapons to kill her you should use at least a Gold Bow with Jester's Arrow/Unholy Arrow. But with guns you should have a Boomstick/Musket with musket balls. Meteor Shot is far more effective though. If you want speed, use a Minishark, and bring about 1000 bullets.

Magic
If you're going to use magic weapons a Crimson Rod is always effective. Summon it at the top of the hive and use another weapon with it like one of the gem staves. Meteor armor w/ Space Gun is also an extremely effective way to kill her, but stay in honey to avoid dying. Also, Water Bolt is good to have due to it's ability to bounce around the hive and damage her multiple times. With practice the demon scythe becomes an effective weapon as it does high damage and pieces though the timing is hard to get correct. The Aqua Scepter is also a great weapon, but you'll run out of mana quickly. However, a Statue grinder will help you with this problem, as killing monsters with magic damage gives them a chance to drop a Star.

Summon Queen Bee
You can either destroy the Crystallized Larva (found within hives in the Underground Jungle) or craft an Abeemination to summon her. This only works on the jungle surface or the underground jungle. Any other location and she simply won't spawn, like most other bosses.

The Fight
The Queen Bee has 3 distinct attack patterns. 1. She will try to level height with you and charge at you from left-right or right-left three times. 2. She will hover near you and spawn small bee minions which will then attempt to attack you by contact damage. 3. She will behave like a normal hornet and fly around, shooting stingers which have a chance to poison you.

When she tries to ram you, maneuver by going up and down, using the platforms prepared prior to the battle, or, if you have access to it, use Rocket Boots or a Cloud in a Bottle and fly/double jump over her charge attack.

If she starts spawning bees at you, switch to a weapon that covers a lot of space, like a large sword or a Boomstick if you have one, and attack the Honeycomb-like area of the Queen Bee, where the Minion Bees spawn.

If she starts shooting stingers at you, stay underneath her and move left and right to dodge them, and then hit her with your weapon.