Bees exhibit a remarkable range of strategies to endure winter’s harsh conditions. While many assume all bee species behave identically when temperatures drop, the diverse world of bees, encompassing thousands of species, has evolved truly distinct methods for surviving the cold.
Honey Bee Winter Survival
Honey bees do not hibernate. Instead, an entire colony, including the queen, workers, and a few drones, survives winter by forming a tightly packed “winter cluster” inside their hive. This collective behavior generates and conserves heat, maintaining a stable cluster temperature. When outside temperatures fall below 50°F (10°C), bees crowd together.
Within the cluster, outer bees pack tightly to create an insulating mantle, while core bees remain loosely arranged. Worker bees generate heat by rapidly vibrating their flight muscles, consuming energy without flying. This muscular activity allows the cluster’s core to maintain temperatures of 90-100°F (32-37°C), even in freezing conditions. The queen remains at the warm center.
To fuel this constant heat production, honey bees rely on honey stored throughout spring and summer. They move slowly through the hive, consuming these reserves for energy. In preparation for winter, the colony also undergoes changes, including the eviction of male drones, who are no longer needed. A strong honey bee colony typically requires 30 to 90 pounds of honey to survive winter, depending on the climate.
Bumble Bee Winter Hibernation
Bumble bees use a different winter survival strategy. With colder weather, most of the colony—workers, males, and the original queen—perishes. Only newly mated queens, called gynes, survive.
New queens feed in autumn to build fat reserves for their dormant period. They seek sheltered locations for true hibernation, known as diapause. Common overwintering spots include:
Soft soil (2 to 6 inches deep)
Beneath leaf litter
Rotting logs
Under stones
During hibernation, the queen’s metabolism slows to conserve energy. She produces natural antifreeze, like glycerol, to prevent ice crystal formation. She remains inactive until spring’s warmer temperatures. Upon emerging, the queen forages for nectar, then establishes a new nest and lays the first eggs of her colony.
Solitary Bee Overwintering
Solitary bees, unlike social honey bees or bumble bees, have diverse overwintering methods. Adult solitary bees typically complete their life cycle and die before winter. It is their offspring, still in developmental stages, that endure the cold season.
These bees lay eggs in individual cells within tunnels or cavities, such as hollow plant stems, holes in wood, or ground burrows. Each cell is provisioned with pollen and nectar for the developing larva. Young bees, often in larval or pupal stages, spend winter sealed within these cells.
For instance, mason bees overwinter as adults inside cocoons within nesting tunnels. Leafcutter bees overwinter as dormant larvae (pre-pupae) within leaf-lined cells. They remain dormant until spring or early summer, when warmer temperatures trigger their development and emergence as adults.