The Winter Honeybee

There are many characteristics that make Honeybees such amazing creatures, one of which involves something they don’t do, hibernate. Most people assume all insects go dormant or hibernate during winter, and for the majority of insects, they would be correct. Almost all insects go dormant, or they lay eggs before winter which emerge the following spring initiating the next generation, but one of the unique things about bees is that they not only overwinter awake, they are active the entire time.

Honeybees cluster during winter to keep warm.

Honey bees spend most of the year collecting nectar and turning it into honey. It’s the summer bees’ main responsibility to build up these stores. As summer gives way to fall this signals to the hive that it is time to get into winter bee mode. Winter bees are different from summer bees. They will need to survive for months, rather than weeks, and must be able to function when there is no outside source of food. To facilitate these special requirements, winter bees have larger fat bodies which helps them to survive the harsher climate. Unfortunately, many first time beekeepers are unaware of this shift and do not provide the necessary conditions for promoting their hearty and abundant development. 

Healthy and strong colonies with lots of winter bees, as well as ample food stores, is the combination most likely to determine the successful emergence of colonies in the spring. 

There are never guarantees when it comes to bees. As our good friend, Dave from Garden State Apiaries always says, “Never trust a bee.” But it’s our mission as beekeepers to do everything in our power to provide the most ideal circumstance for the bees’ survival. 

Regular mite treatments, consistent monitoring of hive health leading up to winter, and ample food stores, are a few of the conditions beekeepers can maintain as winter arrives. 

A Warmer Winter Day

Some girls out stretching their wings and taking a drink of melting snow.

During winter, the honeybees form a cluster. This behavior is truly amazing and unique to honeybees. They gather inside the hive near honey stores and surrounding the queen; they continuously use their wing muscles and body vibrations to create heat, keeping the interior of the cluster a toasty +90F. This warming ritual continues for the entirety of winter as bees rotate in and out of the center of the cluster, and the entire cluster moves around the hive consuming food stores as needed. 

Cluster sizes vary; a large cluster doesn’t necessarily translate to survival. We’ve seen tiny clusters survive while larger ones have starved due to food shortage. This is where the beekeeper steps in and does their best to make sure hives are heavy in weight, indicating ample food stores, and if they feel light, adding supplemental food like sugar boards/blocks or dry sugar mixtures.

If winter weather rises toward 50F, we seize the opportunity to peak in on our hives. This generally goes no further than popping the lid to see how they look as breaking the hive apart could be a serious disruption from which they might not recover.

The 2020/2021 winter has been pretty rough here in New Jersey, but it is nothing a strong, healthy bee colony cannot handle. Although it is stressful at times, it’s good to have your bees put to the ultimate test of a hard winter and come out the other side buzzing away.