Bees have different strategies for surviving the winter depending on their species:
- Honey bees stay together in their hive forming a "winter cluster." They huddle tightly, often with the queen in the center, and shiver their wing muscles to generate heat. Inside the cluster, temperatures can reach up to 95–100 °F while the outside remains cold. They survive by feeding on stored honey collected during warmer months. Occasionally on warm winter days, some bees leave the hive briefly to relieve themselves.
- Bumblebees survive winter mainly as newly mated queens that find a protected place like underground, in leaf litter, or wood piles to hibernate alone. The rest of the colony dies off as winter approaches.
- Many solitary bees spend winter in the developmental stages as eggs, larvae, or pupae inside nests underground, in hollow stems, or other natural cavities. Some may also overwinter as adults in sheltered places.
In summary, honey bees cluster and stay active inside their hive, bumblebee queens hibernate alone, and solitary bees mostly survive winter in their nests in immature forms or as adults hiding in natural shelters.
