#beesinwinter

In winter, honeybees form a living furnace! They huddle inside their hives, with worker bees vibrating to generate heat, keeping the queen at a cozy 90–100°F in the center. This bee cluster has a clever design, with a dense outer mantle for warmth and a loose inner core. As temperatures shift, they expand or contract like nature's own thermostat.

A buff tailed bumblebee already hard at work while the honey bees are hiding. #bees #beesinwinter #bumblebee https://www.instagram.com/p/BtyGHYHhUA2/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rhswycyflv3f

Still snowing. It's nothing compared to the great polar vortex, but this is extremely unusual weather here. #bees #snow #beekeeping #beesinwinter https://www.instagram.com/p/BtVnTP6hs9s/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=tc2vnqqjtdkb

It's warm today (10c/50f) and the bees are out for a cleansing flight. #beekeeping #bees #beesinwinter https://www.instagram.com/p/BtD3vpbhBTL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=bzxyxw3un716

Our #HarvardSquare hive is closed today due to snow daze. We apologize for any inconvenience to you! Buzz: 617-686-1469 if need bee! 🐝🍯 Great read about #BeesInWinter #Bees #Repost @the_wild_bee_apiary ・・・ "Honeybees head to the hive when temperatures drop into the 50s. As the weather becomes cool, the honeybees gather in a central area of the hive and form a “winter cluster." A winter clusteris much like a huddle you may have seen at a football game — except it lasts all winter! Bees have one main job in the winter — to take care of the queen bee. This means they must keep her safe and warm. In order to do so, worker bees surround the queen and form a cluster with their bodies. The worker bees then flutter their wings and shiver. This constant motion and continuous use of energy is how the bees keep the inside temperature of the hive warm. In order to keep shivering, the bees must have enough honey. This is how they get their energy. One of the most important jobs of the beekeeper in the winter is to make sure the honeysupply stays full so the bees can keep shivering. Though the queen is always at the center of the cluster, worker bees rotate from the outside to the inside of the cluster, so no individual worker bee gets too cold. The temperature of the cluster ranges from 46 degrees at the exterior to 80 degrees at the interior. The colder the weather is outside, the more compact the cluster becomes. In order to produce body heat and stay alive, honeybees must rely on honey for energy. Some studies have found that hives of honeybees will consume up to 30 pounds of stored honey over the course of a single winter. On warmer days, bees will leave the cluster briefly in order to eliminate body waste outside the hive." ( Wonderoplis.org)