Bees in winter

After the frenzy of the summer months, the queen of the hive will give birth, during her last eggs at the end of the season, to what we call “winter bees”, enjoying greater longevity. (45 to 60 days for the summer bee, a winter bee will live 150 to 200 days on average) and a different role (the winter bee will not forage, but will devote itself to the survival of the group , and especially the Queen, using the honey reserves accumulated throughout the year).

The last laying of the queen ends, and the bees now come out more and more rarely. While most insects hibernate by seeking refuge underground, our large workers hibernate in their hives. And in order to guarantee a correct temperature inside the hive, the swarm will huddle together and, through measured wing beats, release heat.

Finally, during the winter the male bees, called “drones”, are dismissed from the hive, having fulfilled their role by fertilizing the queen during the summer. Honey reserves are limited, so there are few mouths to feed!

As the activity of the bees decreases, it is also the time to reduce the hive body, that is to say, to install a partition as close as possible to the last active comb to avoid the dispersion of heat in too large a volume. .

It is also the time to “arrange” your apiary, and in particular to clear the entrance to the hives, by cutting the tall grass, removing dead wood, so that in the spring, the bees can take off. is done without obstacle. Clean the underside of the small houses, remove the grass, also protect them from humidity.