What do bees do when it’s cold outside?
Icicles cover a top bar hive. All photos are copyright of Sister Creek Hives LLC.
Every year people ask: “Do honey bees hibernate through winter?”
The answer is that bees do not hibernate; instead, they enter a state of torpor.
Torpor is a condition characterized by reduced physiological activity, achieved through a lowered body temperature and a decreased metabolic rate.
Now you can impress your friends with your newly acquired bee knowledge! - but it's crucial to understand that this state alone is not sufficient to sustain bees when temperatures plummet near or below freezing. During winter, bees adopt a survival strategy by forming a clustered ball to protect the brood and queen.
Maintaining a hive temperature within a specific range, regardless of external conditions, is vital for bees. They strive to keep the hive temperature between 54°F-94°F (12°C-34°C). In order to do so the bees cluster in a ball to create a tight insulating shell, while those at the center of the cluster have a less crowded and warmer environment. Within the clustered ball, bees engage in a fascinating collective effort to generate heat. They utilize a process called 'shivering thermogenesis,' where they rapidly contract and relax their indirect flight muscles. This intense activity produces heat, raising the temperature within the cluster. Additionally, bees generate heat through metabolic processes, such as breaking down stored honey. As they generate warmth, they rotate to the outer layers, allowing their fellow bees a chance to rest. This collaborative approach to temperature regulation highlights the intricate and highly organized nature of a bee colony's survival strategy during winter months
As the bees work tirelessly to produce heat, they occasionally venture away from the cluster in search of food when fatigue sets in. Capped honey serves as a valuable source of carbohydrate energy, enabling the bees to sustain heat production for the cluster. However, if honey stores are too distant or depleted, the bees risk freezing to death while searching the nest for food.
This is why it’s important for beekeepers to leave ample honey stores for bees during winter. The quantity of honey required varies from region to region and year to year due to the unpredictable nature of weather patterns. Harvesting honey becomes a yearly gamble, with beekeepers balancing factors such as colony size, predicted weather, and the duration of winter.
Instead of building a business solely around honey production, Sister Creek Hives, nestled in the Hill Country of Texas, prioritizes the well-being of the bees. Consequently, all excess honey is left for the bees to ensure their survival through the winter months!