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Posted by on Jun 24, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

Where Do Bees Go in the Winter?

Where Do Bees Go in the Winter?

Where Do Bees Go in the Winter? Each insect has its own particular way of dealing with cold temperatures during the long winter months. Different species of bees have different ways of coping with the cold, from hibernation to dying and putting energy into future generations. Honeybees spend the winter huddled together in their hives.

The honeybee queen and workers huddle together to keep themselves warm during the winter months (by this time, there will be no males (drones) in the hive).  Inside the hive, the bees move about slowly, eating the extra honey that they stored during the busy summer season, and buzzing their wings to keep warm.

Bees can flap their wings as fast as 11,000 times per second. They flap their wings to do a lot of things, but one reason is to heat and cool the hive at all times.

The worker bees keep the hive at a steady temperature all year round with their wing flaps. They would like it to be 90 degrees -which is pretty warm. If a bee becomes too cold, it cannot move and, thus, soon dies.

Before the end of winter, the queen bee begins to lay eggs again, and in the spring, all the busy activities of the hive are resumed. In warm climates, however, where there is something in flower the year round, honeybees remain active, making honey in every season.

Content for this question contributed by Berni Scarci, resident of, Canonsburg, Washington County, Pennsylvania, USA