Where do Honey Bees Go in Winter?

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The world of bees looks very different during the cold months. So, where do bees go in Winter – we miss their visits to the garden? In this exploration into the life of bees, we will learn the survival tactics that bees use to ensure that we can enjoy their buzz next Spring.

Bee hive in winter snow where honey bees go to survive.

Of course, I must focus on my favorite – the honey bees. Similar in many respects to their “bee cousins” – it is a well-known fact that honey bees have a different strategy for surviving Winter.

Do Bees Hibernate?

The idea of hibernation may bring to mind a family of fat bears, snug in their Winter home during the cold months. Some insects that hibernate perform a similar process – lady bugs for instance will cluster under bark, or piles of leaves in a semi-hibernation state.

But for the most part, hibernation is different for bees. Most bee species, including bumble bees, yellow jacket wasps, hornets, carpenter bees, and many solitary bees, do not survive as whole colonies through the winter.

In these families, only the mated reproductive females survive. The queens hibernate alone under bark, or ground debris. The males and workers belonging to the nest die once cold arrives.

The queens spend the cold months in a type of deep sleep or period of inactivity. This form of hibernation helps them survive (or at least their genetics) from one season to the next. A new nest is built in spring for a new family.

Empty winter hornet nest abandoned image.

Honey Bee Winter Survival

However, honey bee colonies do not hibernate. Though honey bees are insects, their Winter survival strategy is quite different.

On cold days all members of the honey bee colony remain inside the hive. They are not in a true hibernation stupor and may fly outside on warm days to feast on a few Winter flowers.

How are they able to keep so many colony members warm and alive? Bee colonies are able to live during the cold season due to some special techniques. When everything works right – with a little luck – the healthy colony will live to see Spring.

Colonies Prepare for Winter

The hive is a frenzy of activity in the months leading up to Winter. Before temperatures fall too low worker bees collect resources needed by the colony non-stop.

Bees make honey from collected plant nectar. This stable food source will keep for a long time without spoiling.

The amount of honey needed for the hive depends on several factors including climate and hive population. Proper food storage and plenty of healthy bees in the population is very important.

The Dynamic Winter Bee Cluster

As temperatures drop, bees inside the hive move closer and closer together. They form a roundish mass of bees in and among the combs of the hive. If the hive has brood (developing bees), the cluster forms around the brood nest.

The colder the weather, the tighter the bees cluster together to conserve heat. Throughout the months of the Winter season, the cluster will slowly move to stay in contact with food.

Honey located several frames away is no good – some members of the cluster must be able to reach food. This is why sometimes even a colony with abundant stores can still starve.

If prolonged cold weather causes the cluster to be unable to move – the colony may still die with honey just a few frames away!

A large population of honey bees in the winter hive breaking cluster on a warm day image.

Heater Bees

The bee cluster is a great strategy for conserving warmth – but it is not enough alone. Honey bees generate heat.

When honey bees fly, they use special muscles to move their wings. Inside the hive, they are able to unhook their wings but still flex those muscles. (Similar to you holding your foot on the car brake and racing the engine). This muscle flexing or shivering generates heat.

A honey bee can heat her body up to 111° Fahrenheit. If many individuals are doing this, the heat generated can sustain the colony during the cold days. But, heater bees must consume a lot of honey to continue this activity.

Keeping Brood Warm

Heat production becomes even more important in very early Spring. The colony begins raising young bees in late Winter/early Spring.

These babies (bee brood) must be maintained at a warm temperature for development to occur. The center cluster temps goes from 85°F with no brood to 93°F with brood present.

A heater bee (which can be any worker) will sit on top of a beeswax cell containing young. She will vibrate her abdomen and flex her flight muscles to generate heat.

Also, heater bees can go inside an empty cell and generate heat. This warms the brood on each side of the honeycomb. But, this ingenious system does have its limits.

Bitter cold may kill a colony that does not have a population large enough to generate life sustaining heat. 

Beekeepers who increase their hive numbers by making hive splits early in the year must keep this need in mind. Small colonies with too few bees are in danger.

Special Winter Bees

Another Winter survival technique, worker bees produced during late Fall are different than their Summer sisters.

These fat Winter bees have increased fat reserves that helps them live longer and sustain the colony until Spring. In fact, these Winter worker bees live much longer a normal bee life span (6 months – vs 6 weeks.)

Honey bees clustered inside hives in winter snow.

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Role of Beekeepers in Winter Bee Care

If the beekeeper is lucky, the hives will not need much help to get ready for the cold season. Proper winterizing of hives takes place during Fall.

If food stores are low, some colonies may require extra Fall feeding. The heater bees must have enough food.

Feeding bees in Winter can be done but Fall preparation is best. Beekeeping in winter involves knowing when to “help and when to leave things alone.

Repeat after me. I must not open my bee hives in winter cold. Unless you are an experienced beekeeper with a darn good reason. Don’t open your bee hives in winter when temps are cold.

Be mindful of pests and disease that can affect the vitality of your colonies. Honey bees that are infested with heavy loads of varroa mites are less likely to survive the long cold months. Your hives should be as healthy as possible before cold arrives.

Row of bee hives in Winter snow image.
My bee hives in a Carolina winter snow.. They may look empty but thousands of bees are surviving inside the hive – I hope LOL

Beekeeper Insights

When we see beehives sitting quietly in the snow, our curiosity is captured. Is anyone alive inside there or have they left or died out?

It is not uncommon to see a beekeeper with an ear firmly placed against the side of the hive- listening for any sound. Come on beekeepers, admit it. We always worry the hive may be dead.

You can use a thermal imaging camera to take “heat” pictures. This lets the beekeeper know that the colony is still alive and how big the cluster (population) might be. Alas, I do not own one – but… maybe someday.

Helpful Tips

  • if you live in a very cold climate – consider providing extra insulation with a special bee hive winter wrap.
  • pay attention to proper hive ventilation to protect bees from excessive internal hive moisture. You can wrap them up too tight and cause your bee colony to die.
  • do not try to heat beehives – Even if you could keep the internal hive temperature warm, a bee who flies out on a 30 °F day will not get very far. She will certainly not make it back to the hive.
  • check with local beekeeping associations in your area to learn more about local conditions
Honey bee in Winter snow unable to fly in cold image.

FAQs

Why do we not see honey bees outside on cold days?

Well, there would be very little food available for them to harvest. And, these cold blooded insects will die if they become chilled.

Why do honey bees not hibernate?

Honey bees have special strategies that allow them to overwinter as a family unit over the cold months of the year. They share warmth and survive on stored honey.

At what temperature do bees stop flying?

You are not likely to see a honey bee flying if the temperature is below 55°F. However, Bumble bees are know to forage in cooler temperatures. Even among honey bee colonies – some of them will forage at cooler temperatures than others. It is genetics at work.

At what temperature do bees die?

Honey bees become sluggish once the temperature drops below 55° F. They will die of hypothermia if their body temp falls to 45° F. Bumble bees can fly at slightly colder temperatures.

Final Thoughts

In the world of bees, some species depend on the hibernating mated queen for the next generation – like Bumble bees and wasps. But, honey bees prefer to keep the entire family intact from Fall to Spring. This plan has been going on for millions of years-it works most of the time.

Don’t be too quick to clean up every scrap of yard debris and dried leaves. There may be a bumble bee queen in there waiting for Spring. The next season will arrive and all bees will be ready to come out and start a new year!

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32 Comments

  1. Ben Greathouse says:

    I am getting ready to start my second year as a beekeeper. My bees didn’t make it through the winter, but left several frames of honey. I am thinking of adding a couple of frames of honey to each hive when I install my new packages of bees. Is this a good idea, and would I still need to feed them sugar water?
    Thanks

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      Yes, I would certainly still feed them sugar water because that stimulate comb building. Giving them a couple of frames of honey is not a bad idea – especially if you have no other hives nearby to be attracted to the hive. Make sure to use a small entrance opening in the beginning. And watch for signs of robbing – especially if you put honey in the hive.

  2. Would they be better in a shed with a colder climate (zone 4)?

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      I know some beekeepers in Alaska who overwinter their hives in a shed. In general, most of folks in the US will have some Winter days warm enough for bee flight. It’s best for them to be able to get out on these warmer days.

  3. Bobbie Lee says:

    Hi I live in Northeast Pa., unfortunately I’m gone from early Sept. To 1st week of May, I’m around in Dec.for the entire month, would it be possible that I could start a beehive and help the honey bees w knowing I’m not there for that time frame?

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      Absolutely, healthy well prepared bees should not require much (if any) winter maintenance. However, if you have the opportunity – some marginal hives can be gotten through it with extra help.

  4. My bees left the hive one day before our 1st cold snap 15f, at the time they left the temperature was in the low 50’s Fahrenheit. There’s plenty of honey in the super and the main hive box is full of honey as well. There may be a couple dozen dead bees in bottom of hive box. Is this unusual? Will anything survive in the brood combs this winter? This is in West Virginia.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Chances are they will not survive. This sounds like absconding if there were a large number of bees there one day and all gone the next. We don’t always understand why this happens. If you have not checked them in a few weeks and they were a small population, sometimes they don’t leave but are killed out by other bees. Then the Yellow Jacket Wasps take away some of the dead. Your comb should be okay as long as there is no disease but I would freeze it and then store for next Spring.

  5. I’m in eastern NC. I’ve seen some folks put pine shavings in their hive top feeders to add insulation. Is this necessary in my region? Thank you.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      No, not really – they actually absorb extra moisture more so than insulate. BUT it wont hurt anything just in a case we have bitter cold.

  6. How do you know when to stop feeding? We have been feeding since Aug and the bees are still drinking a quart of sugar water (2 part sugar to 1 part water) a day. I opened the hive on Saturday/28 Sep and the top deep box is 80% full of honey and the brood box is a mixture of honey and brood and is about 70% full.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      I feed until the top box is full or the weather gets so cold the bees stop taking the syrup.

  7. You always talk about leaving sufficient honey for winter. That’s great if you know how much “sufficient” is. I love the information you give I guess I need bee keeping for idiots.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      LOL. Well we all need that version sometimes Barbara. Or at least I do. The problem is that “enough honey” is highly dependent on where you live. A hive in South Georgia would have much different needs than one in New York State. In general, 2 boxes : 1 deep and 1 other box for the bees with the top box full of honey before Winter arrives. The size of that top box… depends on your location.

  8. Can you put a screen over the entrance in winter to keep them in and alive

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      No, they need to be able to go outside on nice day to poop – collect water etc.

  9. I had a beehive and it was doing great but I checked on it again today (I have not opened my hive all winter) and the queen was just outside their entrance dead and all of the other bees where inside and clumped together still but Frozen in place dead they were still soft and I can’t any reason why this happened.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      So many things could be the problem. The top 2 possibilities, the cluster was too small (too few bees) to maintain enough heat for life and/or they ran out of honey within reach of the cluster during cold weather and starved/froze.

  10. This is my first year of being a bee keeper. We recieved our first snow and the bees are still coming out of the hive. Is this natural? Could I have done something wrong? I do have a bottom scran board that I am using but I took out the board and put in a peace of insulation board to block out the cold. I have left a ventalation hole and I have installed a mouse gaurd at the entrance of the hive. I have also enstalled a roof over the entrance so snow will not build up and I have made a 1/4 inch gap on the top cover for more ventalation. Please give me advise. Oh I live in New York State so it does get cold. Please email me

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Jesse, sounds like you are off to a good start. Yes, sometimes bees do come out in the snow and not all make it back in. Yet, we cant completely control them. If you are on Facebook look up my beekeeping group Carolina Honeybees Help for Beginner Beekeepers. So many nice helpful folks.

  11. Chris Piper says:

    Charlotte,
    I have learned so much from your weekly blogs as a new beekeeper! Thanks so much! As I prepare my hives for winter, I noticed on my last hive inspection that the medium super on top of the brood box does not seem to have enough honey stores. The bees do not seem to be collecting enough nectar/pollen to fill all the frames. Only 3 of the 10 frames have been filled. I have given them some sugar water. What do you suggest if only a few frames are filled with honey by the time low temps arrive? I did not do any honey extraction so as to leave enough honey for the bees to make it thru their first winter.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Hi Chris, You have given them some sugar water? Thats good. I would feed, feed, feed until cold weather – dont let the feeder go dry.

  12. Fascinating! Thank you.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      You are very welcome. I think understanding all that we can about bees is very important.

  13. Roger Mitchell says:

    As a kid in the south I had family members that kept hives that I helped with. In 2006 I had to relocate to ct. From mid December to mid January this winter out temp averaged around zero degrees lows of 16 below to highs of 12 above. Winds and snow where brutal 30 40 mph winds snow ice entire time. Today now April 12th 2018 it’s 24f.
    I lost my colony during the deep freeze .

    1st Dec. They were fine and thriving mid Jan. Poof all gone I lost them one or two in bottom of hive many around the outside under hive entrance. I assume they had to take a cleansing flight and froze.

    This upcoming winter I am putting titanium aquarium heaters in my hive box’s to help them out a bit. And wondering if anyone had used heaters if so is there a better method to heat the hives a little. The titanium aquarium heaters come with digital thermostats to control temp.

    My only concern is should the heater be shrouded in a screen so bees can’t touch the heater itself ?

    Thanks for the article I considered heating the hive last fall as winters her are brutal and never knew anyone did add heat source

    Thanks for confirming the idea

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      The absolutely best option is to talk to beekeepers in your climate. Find out what works for them. Here in the south it gets cold and we have beekeepers wanting to heat the bees. This usually causes more problems than it might fix. However, in an extreme climate you might find a way to make it work.

  14. Norberto Adaglio says:

    I LIKE all your blogs; but since I am a carpenter you NEVER discuss plan to build beehives. I would like to know your preference .
    Thank you
    Bert

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Thank you Bert. Yes, I dont discuss how to build beehives must because for most people that is not an option. You as a carpenter might be the exception because you would understand the importance of using correct measurements. I like to build things. When I first started beekeeping I did build some hives. However, in my case I soon realized that it was more expensive to build them than to buy them unassembled and put them together. If I were building a hive today, I would still prefer the 10 frame langstroth hive and I would build it out of regular pine wood. If you decide to build, be sure to search for and find a good pattern and follow the dimensions.

  15. Tammy Moravec says:

    I am a first year beekeeper, it has been interesting. I did loose one of my hives. I live in Wisconsin so winters are not the best for Bees. I ordered 2 more packages that will be here in April. I will be in South Carolina the last week in April for a reunion.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Great Tammy. I’m so glad you are not giving up. Yes Wisconsin is much different than South Carolina in regards to weather. I hope you have some local friends who can help you with things that a specific to your climate. Hang in there !

  16. Angela Graybeal says:

    Loved your article I got my first beehive for Christmas and I am lookimg forward to working and helping save our bees. God bless and keep the articles coming I’m sure I’ll need all.the reading I can get.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Angela, Thanks so much ! You will love beekeeping but it is challenging. Dont give up you are in for a great adventure. Beekeeper Charlotte