Simply amazing. Despite the cold, our girls melted the snow off the top of their hives!
What do the bees do during the winter? A very common question. People assume they sleep or hibernate like bears. They also assume the bees go into torpor and stay like that all winter. The truth is, the bees spend all winter protecting their queen. Bees generate warmth by vibrating their wings. They form a cluster and in the center is her majesty, nice and toasty at 92 degrees. The bees rotate in and out of the center of the cluster, to keep from freezing. This cluster also moves slowly in unison around the hive, looking for nectar. That’s why we always keep enough honey for them for the winter months. They need it more than we do, to keep those wings vibrating. Check out their heat signature in this FLIR image! Bees are simply remarkable!
