Honeybees in Winter

A frequent question we hear at Lyman Woods is what honeybees are up to during the winter. Though we do not see bees flying around in the cold, they are alive and kicking. They cluster, or form a tight ball, around the queen in their hive. They generate heat by shivering the flight muscles in their thorax and can maintain a temperature of 93 F if there is any brood rearing going on.

The observation hive in the Interpretive Center, though relatively climate-controlled compared to an outdoor hive, is a good way to observe honeybee winter behavior. Its population has diminished greatly and the remaining bees hover closely around the queen, who for the most part has stopped laying eggs. Drones (the males) were kicked out of the hive during the fall. It may sound brutal but drones don’t help out much in the hive, so the ladies give them the boot instead of wasting precious food to keep them alive during the cold weather.

Honeybees on Stored Honey

The stored honey in the hive will provide the energy needed for the bees to get through the winter months. Although worker bees typically live only about six weeks, this last brood of the season will live through the winter since they are not wearing themselves out foraging. We place a supplemental feeder jar filled with honey or sugar water on top of the hive if the honey stores get low.  

Don't be surprised if you observe some bees flying in and out of the hive on a sunny, unseasonably warm day in January. Honeybees keep their homes tidy and will wait for weeks until weather allows them to take a “cleansing flight” to relieve themselves. When spring returns, be sure to take notice of the queen, who will begin her dauntless task of laying eggs. By late spring, the observation hive will be bursting with bees, each busy performing a specific task that make for a bustling, productive hive.

Stop by and check out our observation bee hive in the Interpretive Center, where you can observe honeybees any time of the year!