![]() ![]() In the northern United States, these cooler temperatures can occur in October. As such, they don’t rely on other colony members to help keep them warm during the winter.Īnd once warm weather arrives, hibernating bees will emerge to begin eating and nesting.īees typically begin hibernating when temperatures drop below 50☏ (10☌). This means that female mason bees are responsible for building their own nests and collecting their own food. Secondly, most bee species are solitary bees that live alone.įor example, mason bees are solitary bees. During hibernation, their body burns very little fuel, and they’re neither eating nor working. Meaning, most species of bees hibernate during the winter.įirstly, most species of bees don’t produce honey like honeybees do.Īs such, this means they don’t have anything to eat during the winter, so they must hibernate to survive. With that said, honeybees are the exception instead of the rule. They become active again outside of their hive once temperatures rise in the spring. Honeybees simply huddle together to stay warm enough to survive the cold. Honeybees are the most common example of bees that don’t hibernate. But most flowers don’t bloom in the winter, so the bees have no choice but to hibernate until spring. Secondly, bees need pollen and nectar from flowers to survive. As a result, bees rely on heat from the sun or other sources, such as being active. This means they can’t regulate their body temperature like warm-blooded creatures can. Why Do Bees Hibernate?įor one, bees are cold-blooded creatures. This includes having enough bees to keep the hive warm, while also being free of diseases, parasites, and infections. Honeybee colonies must also have a healthy population. Raw honey is their food storage for the winter months. But flowers become scarce when the weather turns cold. Nectar is a bee’s main carbohydrate source, while pollen is its main protein source. You see, a bee’s diet consists of nectar and pollen from flowers. They spend 10+ hours daily gathering nectar so they can make raw honey.īecause they need to produce enough honey to survive the winter. Honeybee colonies work relentlessly throughout the spring, summer, and early fall. It’s a process of natural selection, where only the strongest and most adapted bees survive. In fact, winter is when the greatest number of honeybee losses occur. For food, they rely on the honey they make during the warm months.ĭespite their best efforts, not all honeybee colonies survive the winter. They generate heat by quickly vibrating their wings. Instead, the entire honeybee colony huddles together in a large cluster around the queen bee. They don’t hibernate like bumblebees, mason bees, and carpenter bees do. ![]() Once spring arrives, the queen bumblebee lays eggs and builds a new colony.Įxamples of other bee species that hibernate are: The rest of her colony dies before winter. Her metabolism slows down, and she burns little fuel while hibernating. The queen bumblebee typically finds a safe hibernation spot in the ground. Queen bumblebees, for example, go into hibernation when temperatures drop below 50☏ (10☌). Yes, many species of bees hibernate during the winter. 03 Where Do Bees Go in the Winter? Do Bees Hibernate?
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