What do bees do during the winter?

Do bees sleep in winter? What is life like inside the hive during the long winter months in Quebec?

When winter arrives and a blanket of snow covers the fields, where do the bees go? It may seem like nothing is happening in the apiary during winter—but the reality is quite different. Although life slows down inside the hive, the bees take turns clustering around the queen to maintain a temperature that can reach up to 32°C (about 90°F) at the core of the hive. Since they cannot go out to forage, they survive by consuming the honey reserves we have left for them.

It may seem like nothing is happening in the apiary during winter. In reality, quite the opposite is true

The difference between overwintering and hibernation

Do bees overwinter or hibernate? First, what’s the difference?

Hibernation refers to a state in which an animal becomes dormant and its body temperature drops significantly during winter to conserve energy—for example, bears hibernate.

Overwintering, on the other hand, involves a slowdown in activity without entering a deep dormant state. Animals like squirrels, which occasionally leave their shelter during winter, are good examples. Bees are another: they remain active, vibrating to generate heat inside the hive.

So, as mentioned earlier, even though bees are less active, they do not fall asleep. The answer is that bees overwinter!

Thermal image showing higher temperatures around the queen inside the hive

Où garde-t-on les abeilles pendant l'hiver?

Where are bees kept during the winter?

In Quebec, there are two main methods used to keep bees warm during winter: insulating the hives outdoors or storing them in a cellar (wintering building).

During our early years, we tried several outdoor insulation techniques. We insulated hives with Styrofoam panels, tar paper, and even placed them in wooden boxes filled with wood shavings. The most important factor with all these methods is to control moisture inside the hive and ensure proper airflow at all times (but not too much, so the hive doesn’t expend excessive energy trying to stay warm).

These methods are less costly, but the hives are more exposed to the unpredictability of nature. For example, when freezing rain occurs, it’s essential to ensure the bees still have access to oxygen. Air can pass through snow, but if a layer of ice forms on top, airflow is blocked and the bees risk suffocation.

Because of this, in recent years we have reduced these risks by storing our hives in a wintering cellar. The temperature inside is maintained at around 4°C (about 39°F), similar to a refrigerator. This protects our bees from harsh weather and extreme temperature fluctuations during overwintering.

The red lighting you see in the photo below is specifically designed so bees are not attracted to the light, preventing them from becoming disoriented or injured.

Image of the inside of the wintering cellar

When spring begins to arrive and consistent temperatures of around 10°C (50°F) are forecast, we start bringing the hives back outside. This allows the bees to take their cleansing flight (since bees hold their waste throughout the winter and only relieve themselves once outside) and begin exploring their environment in search of the first available pollen sources.

It is also the time when we inspect our hives and hope that common issues affecting bee colonies have not caused too much damage over the winter.