4.0 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HONEYBEE
The candidate will be:
4.10 able to give an elementary description of the way in which the honeybee colony passes the winter.
NOTES
In the autumn the queen will reduce her laying rate until she barely lays any eggs at all by mid winter. Drones are ejected from the hive in autumn to conserve resources. Worker bees feed up and lay down fat reserves in the form of glycogen. These workers will have to stay alive for 6 months or so as opposed to the 6 week lifespan in the summer.
As temperatures fall in winter the bees become less active and start to form a cluster, closing ranks to conserve heat. The colder the temperature is, the tighter the cluster will be, and the less activity will occur. Bees have to maintain body temperature above 7C or they will be immobilised. The temperature of the cluster varies from the outside to the centre – brood rearing requires a minimum 32C. Bees will move around continuously swapping places from warmer to cooler areas. The top of the cluster will generally be in contact with the honey reserves so that food can still be provided.
Bees can and will fly, in cold or even freezing temperatures, for “cleansing” flights or if under threat – the action of the flight muscles keeps their bodies active.
As spring approaches the queen will increase her egg laying, and bees will start to forage outside again.