Thinking about Beekeeping!

Hives in deep snow

Happy New Year Everyone!

It is still winter in Minnesota, no doubt!  It is only January!
What about the bees? What are they up to?

Right now the bees are hunkered down in their respective hive. It is amazing how they can survive the frigid weather. They do not sleep or hibernate like a bear, instead at about 57 F, they will form a ball, the size of a large grapefruit. The queen will be happily in the center, warm and fed.
Their exceptional success of survival comes from the honey bees themselves. The hive is not heated like our home is, but rather the bees in their well defined ball will generate heat by flexing/moving their flight muscle...like shivering. This will allow them to move a bit around as a cluster, to eat, to feed the queen and to rear brood early in the spring. Right now there is no brood, so the temperature of the cluster in between 57-85F. This helps the bees by not freezing.
An important task for the bees during those very cold months, is to be able to access their food reserve. Usually the cluster moves from the lower box on the ground to the upper box where the honey bees have stored their honey.

Winter bee cluster 

Another interesting thing about bees are the fact that they never defecate inside their hive. So they wait patiently for a nice sunny day like 38F, and go outside to poop; called cleansing flight...to be polite!

Dead bee

Sometimes, they underestimate the temperature or are too adventurous, and cannot come back to the hive.

Dead bee in snow

Cleansing Flight!

Soon, in about 6 weeks or so, the queen will start laying eggs. The temperature will be then around 94F in the nest.

On a beautiful, sunny and warm day (40F) in February, I will go and see if my bees are alive. In the meantime, I will stay warm, and hopefully my bees too!