Bees in Winter: Buzzing Through the Chill
In winter, we can simply turn up the heat and huddle up with a cozy blanket. But bee colonies must employ various clever strategies to survive. Let's have a look at how they do it!
Unlike other animals that hibernate or migrate to warmer climates, bees in winter stay busy and in their beehives. As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, the usual habits and routines of bee colonies undergo significant changes.
While we can simply turn up the heat and huddle up with a cozy blanket, bee colonies must employ various clever strategies to endure the winter. When temperatures dip below 10°C (50°F), the bees huddle together with activity levels dropping to a minimum.
How Bees prepare for Winter
Preparations for winter start by gathering all the food they can store and the arrival of winter bees.
Stockpiling Food
Honey bees work hard throughout the warmer months to amass a substantial reserve of honey, which will serve as their primary food source during the winter months. A well-prepared colony, under ideal circumstances, can store enough honey to sustain itself until spring. The honey is not only a food source, but it also plays a role in insulating the hive.
For example: A healthy bee colony may need between 20 and 30 kilograms (44 to 66 pounds) of honey to endure the winter. It’s their way of making sure there is enough food to nourish the colony.
Insulating the Hive
Additionally, bees cleverly use propolis, a resinous substance they collect from plants and trees, to seal gaps in the hive. This prevents heat loss and keeps the interior warm and cozy. The hive itself is another ingenious feature. The hexagonal honeycomb structure creating pockets of air that help retain heat.
Production of Winter Bees
In preparation for winter, bee colonies begin to prioritize the production a special type of bee known as winter bees. These bees are physiologically different from their summer counterparts, with adaptations that allow them to survive the cold months.
Winter bees have an extended lifespans which can extend up to several months, compared to the mere weeks of summer bees. Additionally, the boast larger fat reserves and a higher ratio of fat body to body weight.
These unique characteristics are the necessary tools to support their colony through the cold winter months.
Beehive Dynamics during Wintertime
The winter bees that take the lead after all the summer bees have died off. They oversee the hive’s internal conditions and handle vital tasks like temperature regulation, reproduction and venturing out on limited foraging trips if outside temperatures permit.
Temperature Regulation
Bees in winter come together as a team to regulate the temperature inside the hive, ensuring warmth for both the queen and themselves. With the drop in temperature, worker bees form a winter cluster around the queen, ensuring her survival.
The core of the cluster is kept at a steady and toasty 35°C (95°F), which is crucial for the queen and the future population. Workers generate heat by vibrating their wing muscles and use stored honey as their primary energy resource. To conserve this vital energy, they remain mostly stationary and reduce their activity levels.
There cluster constantly shift as outer bees move inward to warm up and vice versa. Worker bees take turns moving from the outer edges of the cluster to the inner part so that everyone can stay warm.
Reproduction and Growth
During winter, bee colonies may not bee at their busiest for reproduction, but the queen will still lay eggs. The bees take special care to keep the brood area warm, ensuring proper development.
The egg-laying activity typically ramps up towards the end of winter as days begin to lengthen, signaling the coming of spring. Workers will carefully move and handle the eggs and larvae, keeping them within the warmer areas of the cluster for optimal growth.
They also clean and prepare empty cells for the queen, seal cracks with propolis to keep heat in, and remove dead bees from the hive if temperatures permit.
These actions help protect the delicate balance of the hive environment, ensuring that the bee colony is prepared to buzz back to live when the sun shines brighter and warmer.
Foraging Patterns
When it’s cold outside, the bees will leave the hive only on warmer days with mild temperatures. These brief outings are critical for waste elimination as well, so make sure you’re not drying any clothes close to your bee colonies in the wintertime, otherwise you might be in for a surprise.
How Beekeepers can support their Bees in Winter
To support their bees in winter, beekeepers can take several proactive measures. Personally, I keep my visits to my bees to an absolute minimum to not disturb them. I visit my bees for the winter varroa mite treatment with oxalic acid around Christmas time and for a first check on a warm day in early spring. My focus is on supporting the preparation of the bees for the challenges of winter.
Helping with Food Storage
In preparation for winter, I must prioritize my bees have enough food. Building up food storage before winter is essential, and this is typically done by feeding bees sugar syrup in the fall, which helps them to stockpile the 20 to 30 kilograms (44 to 66 pounds) of food necessary to sustain the colony.
Once winter sets in, it’s important that I minimize hive inspections to avoid exposing the bees to cold air and messing up their temperature regulation.
However, on the first warm days of spring, I will always carefully inspect my hives to assess food levels.
If food stores are low, I can provide emergency feedings of sugar fondant, helping bees bridge the gap until they can forage again. This proactive approach ensures that the bees stay healthy and strong, ready to emerge in springtime.
Insulation, Ventilation and Protection
Another thing I can do is insulating the hive to help maintain a stable temperature. Adequate ventilation is also important to prevent moisture buildup, which can lead to mold and disease.
Some beekeepers will add insulation foam pads on top of their bee hives, to help with insulation against the cold.
Depending of the location of their hives, we can also support our hives from harsh weather conditions by placing windbreaks or snow fences.
Pest and Disease Management in Winter
Winter not only brings the cold and scarcity but also heightens the risk of pests and diseases that can severely impact bee colonies.
In addition to the routine varroa mite treatment, I’m vigilant about other potential threats like Nosema, a fungal infection that thrives in cold, damp conditions. During winter, I will always remove the varroa screen on the bottom of the hive, to ensure proper ventilation.
Keeping an eye on the colony’s health can prevent losses that are often only discovered in spring.
What can lead to Failure of Bee Colonies in Winter?
Several factors can lead to the failure of a bee colony during the winter months, making this a critical period for beekeepers to manage carefully.
Insufficient food reserves are a primary concern. Without enough honey stored, bees can starve despite their best efforts to conserve energy.
Parasitic mite infestations, particularly from Varroa destructor, can weaken bees, making them more susceptible to viruses and less capable of surviving the cold.
The health of the queen is also vital. A failing or dead queen can spell doom for the colony, as no new bees will be born to replace those that die over the winter.
Poor hive insulation and moisture control can lead to cold stress and mold issues, which in turn can lead to diseases, even further jeopardizing the bees› survival.
Effective autumn preparations, vigilant monitoring, and proactive management are essential to minimize these risks and ensure the colony’s survival until spring.
When Temperatures rise again
As spring approaches and the temperatures rise, I always eagerly await the return of activity in my bee colonies.
Did Imy bees during winter? Did I feed the enough in the fall of the last year? Were the any unseen problems with the hives? All these lingering questions that beekeepers carry with them through the winter will be answered as soon as the hustle and bustle of the bee colonies around the hives begins again.
It’s always brings me immense satisfaction to see that the bees have made it through the harsh winter months, thriving and buzzing, marking the beginning of a new beekeeping season.
I hope this glimpse into the activities of bees in winter has been enlightening. Below, I have compiled some more interesting questions in a short FAQ section. Thanks for reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
What month do bees typically become less active?
Bees begin to wind down their activities as the cold sets in, which is often around late October to early November, depending on the climate of their region.
How do bees adapt to the colder temperatures during winter?
To withstand the cold, bees form a tight cluster around their queen, generating heat through the vibration of their wing muscles. They effectively use their bodies as a shield to keep the queen and themselves warm.
Is there a difference between summer bees and winter bees?
Yes, winter bees have a longer lifespan and are physiologically adapted to survive the cold. They have more fat stores and can conserve their energy during the winter months.
Do bees continue to produce honey throughout the winter months?
No, bees do not produce honey during the winter. They rely on the honey they have collected and stored during the warmer months to sustain themselves when foraging is not possible.
Where are bees in winter?
Bees remain in their hives throughout winter. They cluster together for warmth and to protect their queen, maintaining their colony until the return of spring allows for foraging again.