What happens to bees in the Winter?

When was the last time you saw a honeybee brave a rainstorm? Or jump to and from frost bitten flowers?

You don’t tend to see big swarms in the Winter or hear their happy little hum as they feast on the nectar of wildflowers. So, what happens to bees in the winter?

They protect their Queen

Unlike other insects, bees don’t hibernate. Quite the opposite, in fact. They stay busy throughout the chillier months with their main priority to protect the Queen and keep their colony going. They focus their efforts on making sure there’s plenty of honey in the stores, the winter brood are growing, and the Queen is well taken care of.

They keep the hive warm

Even though the temperatures can drop considerably outside, the hive needs to maintain a stable temperature of 35 – 36 degrees. As winter temperatures plummet, the Queen stays at the centre of the hive, whilst the worker bees cluster and rotate around her to keep her, and their sisters, warm. They ‘shiver’ their flight muscles to create a heat source, swapping the outer circle bees with the inner circle bees to make sure everyone is well heated. The colder the weather is outside, the tighter they will cluster together.

The prepare for Winter throughout the year

Through Spring, Summer, and Autumn – getting through Winter is very much still a priority for bees. They create a surplus of honey to prepare for when the flowers die off in the winter, along with their nectar and pollen sources. This means there’s plenty to eat for our Winter Bees!

Who is in the hive in Winter?

The Queen, and a specific caste of worker bees remain in the hive during Winter. These ‘Winter Bees’ are born in the Autumn, and they are responsible for getting the colony and hive through the cold months and into the spring. They’re slightly fatter, with bodies more adept at storing honey and more fat body reserves. Unfortunately, a lot of the colony numbers will die off and egg production will slow down before winter as the food sources dry up. Worker bees will take every precaution to protect their honey stores during this time – by eliminating any risk that could considerably drain the honey stores. This means kicking out the Drone bees!

How can you help your bees in Winter?

Bees are incredibly intelligent and having been preparing for Winter years before the interference of humans. However, if you’re concerned about your colony, there are a few simple ways that you can help your hives get the very best out of Winter:

Protect your hive from the Winter wind: this can be done by moving your hive to a less windy spot, or introducing windbreakers to reduce any gusts that could upset the hive.

Place your hives in natural sunlight: location is key in keeping bees in winter, so you can always give them a helping hand by making sure the hives are in warmer, sunnier spots.

Emergency feeding: this should only be done when completely necessary, but your bees might need a little help with nutrition in Winter so think about setting up a feeder of sugar water nearby.

Insulate your hives: this is only needed in bitter, icy and snowy winters in the East or Tasmania, but you may need to think about adding some insulation around the outside of the hive box. Materials like foam board or reflective foil insulation work well.