While our mead hall doors are open all winter, our bumbling friends who make honey are mostly inactive during these chillier months. But what do they do during this frozen time, and how do they stay alive?
Contrary to what you might have been told, honeybees don’t hibernate. Hibernation would mean they reduce their movements to conserve energy. Rather, honeybees are awake and alert, creating a moving cluster around the queen to generate heat and protect her from the cold. The center of the cluster can reach 90 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which keeps the queen toasty throughout the winter.
Honeybees will eat the honey they collected during the year throughout the winter to maintain their strength to keep the queen warm. The size of the hive depends on how much honey the bees will need, and skilled beekeepers ensure that the honeybees have plenty of honey to get them through the winter.
When the temperatures rise to above 50 degrees (though depending on the part of the country or the world, this temperature varies) bees become active again. The queen begins to lay more eggs, and the honeybees take flight to find flowers again.
______
We're open throughout the winter, and we've extended our hours! We're open Thursday and Friday 4-10, and Saturday from 2-10!.
Comments